Festivals Oct. 27-Nov. 2: Happy haunting at suburban Halloween events

Starts before Friday

Pumpkin Fest: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Tuesday, Oct. 31, at Cosley Zoo, 1356 N. Gary Ave., Wheaton. Animals, a straw pyramid and thousands of pumpkins scattered on the zoo's lawn. $10 nonresident adults 18-54, $9 nonresident adults 55 or older; free for members, Wheaton Park District residents, and kids 17 and younger. cosleyzoo.org/pumpkin-fest.

Randall Oaks Fall Festival: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Sunday, Oct. 29, at Randall Oaks Zoo, 1180 N. Randall Road, West Dundee. Pedal tractors, pumpkins and fall treats for sale. On weekends, there are hayrides for $3.50 and animal shows. $5 for residents, $5.50 for nonresidents; free for kids 1 and younger and U.S. military with ID. dtpd.org/randall-oaks-zoo.

Happy Times Pumpkinfest: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, Oct. 25-29, at Didier Farms, 16678 W. Aptakisic Road, Lincolnshire. Food, activities, pig races and more. Free; fee for activities.happytimespumpkinfest.com.

Lincoln Park Zoo Fall Fest: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Sunday, Oct. 29, at Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St., Chicago. Pumpkins, hot cider, toasted s'mores, music, story times, activities and more. Free. lpzoo.org.

Sugar Skull City: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily through Sunday, Nov. 5, in downtown Aurora. Celebration of Day of the Dead featuring art, activities, specials, shopping and more. Free. auroradowntown.org.

Pumpkin Festival: Various times Wednesday through Sunday, Oct. 25-29, with many activities taking place near the corners of Main and State streets and on the courthouse lawn, Sycamore. Events include: Pumpkin check-in from noon to 9 p.m. and opening ceremony and giant cake cutting at 5 p.m. Wednesday; Kiwanis Prayer Breakfast, trick-or-treat event and pumpkin celebrations on Thursday; United Methodist Church craft show on Friday; pancake breakfast, burgers and soup luncheon, historic homes tour, golf scramble, live entertainment, and pie-eating contest Saturday; Sycamore Chamber 10K Pumpkin Run, Autumn Craft and Treasures Market, and Pumpkin Festival Parade on Sunday. Teen carnival and kiddie carnival from 3-10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free; some activities have fees. dekalbcountycvb.com/dccvb-event/pumpkin-festival.

Ackerman Haunted Trail: 4-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Oct. 26-27, at Ackerman Park, 800 St. Charles Road, Glen Ellyn. The trail will be less scary from 4-6 p.m. and geared toward older kids from 6-9 p.m. Halloween-themed games and local food trucks. $5. Advance registration required at gepark.org/gepdevent/ackerman-haunted-trail/.

Pumpkin Splash: 6-8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Oct. 26-27, at The Water Works, 505 N. Springinsguth Road, Schaumburg. Swim with pumpkins, pool pumpkin picking, DJ entertainment and a goody bag filled with treats. For kids 12 and younger with an adult. $15-$20. Register at parkfun.com.

Six Flags Great America Fright Fest and Oktoberfest: 6-11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26; 5-11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29; and 6-11 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 30-31, at Six Flags Great America, Six Flags Drive, Gurnee. Daytime hours are family-friendly with trick-or-treat and Halloween crafts. Evening hours include haunted mazes, roaming zombies, scary clowns and spooky shows. Oktoberfest: Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday featuring German food and beer. Tickets start at $45. sixflags.com/greatamerica.

West Chicago Spooky Trail: 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, and 7-9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27-28, at Reed-Keppler Park, 129 W. National St., West Chicago. A one-third mile haunted trail with ghouls, witches and more. $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Register in advance at we-goparks.org/special-events.

Jack O'Lantern World: Various times Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 26-29, at 215 S. Rand Road, Lake Zurich. Walk a ¾-mile long trail through thousands of hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns. $14.99-$24.99. thejackolanternworld.com/lakezurich.

Destinos, Chicago International Latino Theater Festival: Various times and locations in Chicago through Nov. 12. Annual citywide festival showcasing Latino theater artists and companies from Chicago, the U.S. and Latin America. For tickets, see clata.org/en.

13th Floor Haunted House: Various times and days through Sunday, Nov. 5, at 5050 River Road, Schiller Park. One hour before opening, guests can walk through the haunted house without live actors. Tickets start at $26.99 on select nights. 13thfloorchicago.com.

The Old Joliet Haunted Prison: Various times and dates through Saturday, Nov. 4, at 401 Woodruff Road, Joliet. This immersive haunted house winds through the dark, abandoned halls of the infamous Joliet Correctional Center. Tickets start at $29.99 on select nights. hauntedprison.com.

Terror Roulette: Various times Thursday through Tuesday, Oct. 26-31, at The Arboretum of South Barrington, 100 W. Higgins Road, Suite J-40, South Barrington. Haunted house challenge designed for horror fans. Tickets start at $33.60. terrorroulette.com.

Friday, Oct. 27

Libertyville Trick-or-Treat on MainStreet: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, in downtown Libertyville. Trick-or-treat at participating stores displaying an orange pumpkin on their door or window. Free. mainstreetlibertyville.org.

Long Grove October Days: 3-5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, in downtown Long Grove. Trick-or-treat at participating stores. Free. longgrove.org.

Halloween Candy Stroll: 3:30-5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, in the Ravinia District of Highland Park, east of Green Bay Road on Roger Williams Avenue, Highland Park. Businesses will pass out candy to trick-or-treaters. Plus, Halloween music, contests and more. Free. enjoyhp.com.

Boo Bash: 5-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at North Park, 1025 Riverwoods Road, Lincolnshire. Family-friendly Halloween event. lincolnshireil.gov.

Howlin' at the Moon: 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27-28, at Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville. For ages 21 or older. Live music, food trucks, drinks and more. Music from OMT at 5:15 p.m. and Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country at 8 p.m. Friday, and Here Nor There at 5:15 p.m. and Keller Williams at 8 p.m. Saturday. Plus, a Moonlight Market, Dark Art Gallery, a costume contest with prizes, fire dance performance, impalement artist, Acts of Danger, magician Steve Chezaday, ax throwing, Crosstown Exotics Bug and Reptile Show, black light painting and more. See a 15-foot werewolf art installation created by nationally recognized Naperville artist Paul Kuhn and a Zombie photo experience created by horror photographer Joshua Hoffine and professional makeup and FX artist Damien Zimmerman. Bring lawn chairs for the concerts. $20. napersettlement.org.

Dia de los Muertos Celebration: 6-8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at Pottawatomie Community Center, 8 North Ave., St. Charles. For kids 6-12. Screening of “Coco,” sugar skull decorating, face painting and dine on pan de muerto. $30-$36. stcparks.org/events.

Halloween Bar Crawl: 6-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, and 3-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at participating bars in Chicago. Don a costume and go on a pub crawl. $15-$40. Register at Eventbrite.com.

Parkway Bank Park's Crawl-O-Ween: 6-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at Parkway Bank Park, 5501 Park Place, Rosemont. Halloween pub crawl featuring drink specials at participating bars. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. rosemont.com/thepark.

Schaumburg Halloween Carnival: 6-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27-28; 6-9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29; and 6-10 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 30-31, at Wintrust Field Parking Lot, 1999 S. Springinsguth Road, Schaumburg. Spooky rides, a House of Creeps haunted house, food, trick-or-treating, seasonally themed arts and crafts, live music and more. Free; parking is $5. Haunted house admission is $17.50 online, $20 at the door. wintrustfield.com.

Vernon Hills Fall Fest: 6-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at the Sullivan Community Center, 635 N. Aspen Drive, Vernon Hills. Family event featuring indoor trick-or-treating, balloon art, black light dance party and a costume contest. $7, free for kids younger than 2. Registration required. vhparkdistrict.org.

Warrenville Park District Fall Fest: 6-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at the Warrenville Park District Recreation Center, 3S260 Warren Ave., Warrenville. $5 wristbands include unlimited games, inflatables, petting zoo, crafts, and a meet-and-greet with Woody and Buzz Lightyear. warrenvilleparks.org.

Festival Latino de Comedia: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at Allstate Arena, 6920 Mannheim Road, Rosemont. Features comedian, singer, songwriter and radio personality Franco Escamilla, with Liss Pereira and Felipe Avello. Tickets start at $35. rosemont.com.

312 Comedy Festival: Friday through Sunday, Oct. 27-Nov. 5, at various locations in Chicago. Festival of comedy performances, including Nate Bargatze, Russell Peters, John Crist, Nicole Byer, Ari Shaffir, Jeff Ross, Craig Robinson, Dan Cummins, Chad Daniels and more. For ticket information and the schedule, see 312comedyfestival.com.

Saturday, Oct. 28

Bat Race 5K/10K: 8-10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, on North River Street, Batavia. 10th annual Halloween-themed, chip-timed 5K/10K race along the Fox River Trail bike path raises funds for Batavia United Way. Kids' Fun Run is $5. $25-$40. bataviaunitedway.org/bat-race.

Fall Flower Show: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, through Nov. 26 at Wilder Park Conservatory, Church Street and Prospect Avenue, Elmhurst. A seasonal display of fall flowers. epd.org.

Bat Race 5K/10K: 8:15 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, beginning at River and State streets, at 27 N. River St., Batavia. A chip-timed event along the Fox River. Awards will be given for the top three finishers, male and female. $25-$40. bataviaunitedway.org/bat-race.

Boo at the Zoo: 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28-29, at Randall Oaks Park, 1180 N. Randall Road, West Dundee. Trick-or-treating and costume parades at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Meet by the Centerville Schoolhouse. $5-$5.50. dtpd.org.

Halloween Hustle 5K: 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at 345 N. Eric Drive, Palatine. 5K and Kids Dash. After-party at the Tap House Grill. $15-$45. trailrunner.com/event/halloween-hustle-5k.

Halloween Party: 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Community Center, 250 E. Wood St., Palatine. One-hour time slots include a storytime, Halloween craft, monster mash dance party, a trick-or-treat trail and more for kids 2-8. Register at palatineparks.org.

Keller's Farmstand Fun Fall Festivities: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28-29, at Keller's Farmstand Oswego, 2500 Johnson Road, Oswego. 8-acre corn maze, kids' play area, farm animals, rope and brick mazes, straw maze, bike tracks, horse play area, playhouse, tire stack for climbing and old tractors for photo opportunities. $11.99, with a $2 discount for seniors and military; free for kids 4 and younger. kellersfarmstand.com.

Pumpkin Patch Pool Party: 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Vaughn Athletic Center leisure pool, 2121 W. Indian Trail, Aurora. $15-$17. Register at foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.

Día de los Muertos: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28-29, at Brookfield Zoo, 8400 31st St., Brookfield. The zoo celebrates the Day of the Dead with music, face painting, sugar skulls and more. Adults $29.95; seniors $24.95; and kids 3-11 $20.95. czs.org/diadelosmuertos.

BatFest: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, in downtown Batavia. Annual Halloween-themed family event featuring trick-or-treating, Batavia Mothers' Club Parade at 11:50 a.m., pumpkin bowl, contests, BatArt, stories and games. Free. downtownbatavia.com/event/batfest/.

Downtown Wheaton Trick-or-Treating: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Trick-or-treat at participating businesses. Free. downtownwheaton.com/halloween.

Halloween Fun Fest: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Arts in Bartlett, 215 S. Main St., Bartlett. Costumed participants can walk in the parade, which steps off from the Bartlett Village Hall, 228 S. Main St., with a police and fire truck escort at 10 a.m. After the parade, kids can trick-or-treat in downtown Bartlett until 1 p.m. Free. artsinbartlett.org.

Truck-or-Treat: 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 28, at Main Beach, 300 Lakeside Drive, Crystal Lake. Come in your Halloween costume and climb aboard the trucks on display. Rain or shine. Free. crystallakeparks.org/special-events.

Howl-O-Ween Canine Costume Contest: 10:45-11:45 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Willow Stream Park at the Dan Schimmel Pavilion, 651 Old Checker Road, Buffalo Grove. Canine costume contest and a doggy egg hunt. Register at bgparks.org.

Annual Halloween Walk: 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 28, at Jewel Shopping Centers in Cary and 1-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Stone Hill Shopping Center in Fox River Grove. Free. carygrovechamber.com.

Fall Fest: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 340 Grand Blvd., Elgin. Trunk-or-treat, food, crafts, music, bounce house and more. Free. blcelgin.org.

Grayslake Business Trick-or-Treat: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, in downtown Grayslake. Trick-or-treat from local businesses. Free. grayslakechamber.com.

Halloween at the Crystal Lake Plaza: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Crystal Lake Plaza, 6500 Northwest Hwy., Crystal Lake. Trick-or-treating, magic shows, petting zoo, stilt walkers, giant dinosaur, food and more. Free. crystallakeplaza.com/events.

Pumpkin Weekends: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28-29, at Blackberry Farm, 100 S. Barnes Road, Aurora. Family-friendly fall festivities. Saturday: World's Tallest Scarecrow. Sunday: Pumpkin Princess. Admission includes rides and attractions; pumpkins can be purchased for $3. $7-$8. foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.

Fall Ale Fest: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Fox Valley, 195 Fox Valley Center, Aurora. Sample seasonal craft beers and hard ciders from over a dozen local breweries. Live outdoor music and food trucks. 21 and older. General admission tickets $40 online, $45 at the door, designated driver tickets $10. shopfoxvalleymall.com.

Family Fall Fest: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Fox Valley, 195 Fox Valley Center, Aurora. Petting zoo, pony rides, a bounce house, a hay bale play area and food trucks. Free; registration is encouraged at bit.ly/46D1ztz. shopfoxvalleymall.com.

Naperville Pumpkin Race: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Rotary Hill Park by the Millennium Carillon in downtown Naperville. Battle for the Pumpkin Race Championship Trophy, as well as prizes for best decorations and best costume. Registration starts at noon, with Turning Pointe student racing at 12:30 p.m. Public qualifying races from 1-2:30 p.m. Costume contest on the main stage and pumpkin decorating contest at the awards showcase at 2:30 p.m. Spotlight Business races at 2:45 p.m. Quarterfinals at 3:15 p.m. and semifinals to championship from 3:30-4 p.m. Purchase pumpkin race kit for $25 in advance at turningpointeautismfoundation.org/Pumpkin+race/.

Svengoolie Meet-and-Greet: Noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Volo Museum, 27582 Volo Village Road, Volo. Meet Rich Koz, AKA legendary horror movie host Svengoolie, along with magicians, entertainment and more. Included with museum admission. Tickets: $12.95-$22.95. volocars.com.

Trick-or-Treat Trail: Noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Red Hawk Park, 651 St. Charles Road, Carol Stream. Trick-or-treat around Red Hawk Park with games, candy and activities. $12-$15. Must register for a time slot before Friday, Oct. 27. Register at csparks.org.

Trunk-or-Treat: Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Prairie Lakes Community Center, 515 E. Thacker St., Des Plaines. Visit decorated trunks for treats. $2 per child, 17 and younger. Free for adults. dpparks.org/event/trunk-or-treat.

Aurora Trick-or-Treat: 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, in Aurora. Trick-or-treat at participating downtown businesses. Look for orange paper pumpkins displayed on business doors. A map will be posted prior to the event. Free. auroradowntown.org/specialevents.

Pumpkin Patch Festival: 1-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, at 79th and Harlem, 7325 W. 79th St., Bridgeview. Pumpkins, carnival rides, a petting zoo, a balloon artist, face painting, magic show, kiddie haunted house and maze, food and more. $15 per person or $50 per family; free parking with online ticket purchase. eventwizinc.com.

Trunk-or-Treat: 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, outdoors at Melas Park in the Bosch Parking Lot, 1500 W. Central Road, Mount Prospect. Come in costume for trunk-or-treat and activities. Registration required for kids 2 and older; an adult must accompany the child during the event. Register at ahpd.org.

Waukegan Halloween Trick-or-Treat Trail: 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Bowen Park, 1800 N. Sheridan Road, Waukegan. Walk the Halloween trail and interact with costumed characters. Treat bags for kids. waukeganparks.org.

Tricks & Treats In The Valley: 2-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28-29, at Heritage Farm at Spring Valley, 201 S. Plum Grove Road, Schaumburg. All-ages trick-or-treat experience beginning at Heritage Farm then setting out on a trail past many historic buildings and out into the woods and fields. Trick-or-treaters must register for a specific time. $4 for residents; $6 for nonresidents; free for attending adults. parkfun.com.

Halloween in the Hollow: 3 p.m. to dusk Saturday, Oct. 28, at Sabatino Park, 1 Thorobred Lane, Sleepy Hollow. Annual event with chili contest at 3 p.m., pumpkin decorating and food sales at 3:30 p.m., costume contest at 4:15 p.m. and hay rides. At twilight, the bonfire will be set ablaze, followed by the ride of the Headless Horseman. sleepyhollowil.org.

Pint of Music Concerts: 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct 28, at Buffalo Creek Brewing, 360 Historical Lane, Long Grove. Mid Atlantic will perform outdoors on the Biergarten Main Stage, if weather permits, or indoors. Free. BuffaloCreekBrewing.com.

Witches Night Out: 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Wyckwood House, 80 S. River St., Aurora. Hats and broomsticks encouraged. Free. wyckwoodhouse.com/events.

The Queen's Cartoonists: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. This merry band of virtuoso musicians take their penchant for accompanying cartoons to new heights, providing live soundtracks to contemporary animated films. Tickets: $46; $44 seniors and students. prairiecenter.org.

Pumpkins on Main: Saturday through Tuesday, Oct. 28-31, at the Main Street Recreation Center, 501 Hill Ave., Glen Ellyn. See a display of jack-o'-lanterns carved by residents. Free. gepark.org/gepdevent/pumpkins-on-main/.

Sunday Oct. 29

Day of the Dead Family 5K Run/Walk: 7-10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, at Heritage Park, 100 Community Blvd., Wheeling. The post-run Day of the Dead celebration features traditional Mexican food and live performances. 7-7:45 a.m.: Day-of packet pickup and participant face painting; 8 a.m.: 5K run/walk start; 9 a.m.: awards; 9-10 a.m.: post-event celebration. $25 adults; $15 kids 12 and younger. dayofthedead5k.run.

Halloween Hop: 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, Oct. 29, in downtown Naperville. Trick-or-treat at participating businesses. Costumes encouraged. Free trolley rides. Free. downtownnaperville.com/events/downtown-naperville-halloween-hop/.

Ready Set Ride Fall Festival: Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, at Ready Set Ride, 13056 Essington Road, Plainfield. Petting zoo, trick-or-treating, costume contest, fall craft sale and photography sessions (for an additional fee by appointment). $5. readysetride.org.

Halloween Happening: 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, at the Riverwalk Grand Pavilion, 912 Sindt Court, Naperville. Halloween games, inflatables and goodies. Costumes encouraged. For kids 10 and younger and their parents/guardians. Free. napervilleparks.org/halloweenhappening.

Trick-or-Treat on Main Street: 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, on Main Street in downtown Wauconda. Trick-or-treat from local businesses. Free. waucondachamber.org.

Pumpkin Fest: 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, at St. James Grand Lodge, 8220 S. Western Ave., Chicago. Carve and decorate foam pumpkins, costume contest, food and candy. Free. Register at qbgcevents.ticketleap.com/pumpkin-fest/?rc=650hq8v.

Trunk and Treat: 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, at Northwest Covenant Church, 300 N. Elmhurst Ave., Mount Prospect. Apple cider, doughnuts and s'mores around the campfire. There will be a “Fill the Trunk” canned food drive. Free. nwcov.com.

Tuesday, Oct. 31

Halloween Costume Parade: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, at the Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St., Skokie. Come to the Kids Room in costume and parade through the department for indoor trick-or-treating. Free. skokielibrary.info.

Blodgett House Boo Fest: 3-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, at the Downers Grove Museum campus, 831 Maple Ave., Downers Grove. All ages trick-or-treat event. Go on a scavenger hunt and play Halloween games. Free. dgparks.org.

Halloween Handout: 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, in downtown Crystal Lake. Participating merchants (with an orange Halloween Handout Pumpkin Flyer on their window) will hand out treats to costumed kids 12 and younger. A teal pumpkin poster indicates alternate (nonfood) treats. downtowncl.org/events/halloween-handout.

Trick-or-Treating: 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, at Chicago Premium Outlets, 1650 Premium Outlet Blvd., Aurora. Store-to-store opportunities for kids to stock up on Halloween treats. For a list of participating retailers, visit premiumoutlets.com.

Lake County Film Festival: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, at the College of Lake County, Grayslake Campus, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. A special Halloween horror movie screening of a film made in Lake County and never before seen by the public. Costumes encouraged. Adult content. The regular festival will run Nov. 3-5 and 10-12 at various locations in Lake County. Free with any LCFF purchase; passes start at $5. 2023.lakecountyfilmfestival.org.

Thursday, Nov. 2

Pumpkin Smash Party: 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, at the Oak Brook Park District, 1450 Forest Gate Road, Oak Brook. Come roll old pumpkins down the Sled Hill at Central Park. There will be judges to see whose pumpkin had the longest roll, shortest roll and messiest roll in each heat. $10 for residents, $12 for nonresidents for kids 2-15; $4 for ages 16 and older. obparks.org.