October is one of my favorite months to get out with the kids in Chicago. There are the big fall festivals and trick-or-treat events, of course, but there are also outdoor movies, library programs, kids' workshops, live performances, and plenty of things that don't require spending a fortune.
Here's what's happening around Chicago this October:
Our guide: 🎃 Fall/Halloween | 🍬 Trick-or-treat | 🎬 Movie | 🎭 Performance | 🔨 Build & create | 📚 Library | 🍂 Festival/outdoor
🍂 Lincoln Square Ravenswood Apple Fest
October 2–4 | Lincoln Square | FREE admission
Apple Fest takes over Lincoln Avenue for the weekend with apples, cider, food, live music and plenty of reasons to wander around Lincoln Square with the family.
🎬 James and the Giant Peach at Music Box Theatre
October 3 & 4 | 11 a.m. | Southport Corridor | Ticketed
Music Box Theatre's Indoor Kids family matinee series is showing James and the Giant Peach. The 1996 adaptation of Roald Dahl's book mixes live action and stop-motion animation and runs 79 minutes.
Music Box Theatre
🔨 Home Depot Kids Workshop: Witch Candy Box
October 3 | 9 a.m.–noon | Participating Home Depot stores | FREE
Kids can build and decorate their own witch candy box at the October Home Depot Kids Workshop. Materials are provided while supplies last. Advance registration is a good idea.
📚 Fall Musical Storytime
October 3 | Lincoln Park/Near North | FREE
Merit School of Music joins in for a fall-themed musical storytime. A good option for families with younger kids who want something lower-key than a full fall festival.
🔨 The Art of Paper Magic: Origami for Everyone
October 3 | 10 a.m.–noon | Near North Library | FREE
Spend the morning learning the art of origami at the Chicago Public Library's Near North Branch.
🎃 Fall Fest at Lincoln Park Zoo
September 25–November 1 | Lincoln Park | FREE admission
Fall Fest runs throughout October with a pumpkin patch, live pumpkin carving, fall photo opportunities, performers and seasonal activities. Some rides and activities require tickets.
Lincoln Park Zoo
🍂 Día de los Muertos Kickoff at the Nature Museum
October 4 | 10 a.m.–noon | Lincoln Park | Included with admission
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum opens its Día de los Muertos ofrenda with a family program. At 1 p.m., families can also join a Monarch Migration Nature Walk connecting monarch butterflies with Día de Muertos traditions.
🎬 Campfire Horrors: Coco
October 9 | 7 p.m. | Bosley Park | FREE
Bring some layers and watch Coco outdoors by the campfire. The Chicago Park District's Campfire Horrors series pairs spooky-season movies with outdoor fall evenings. Coco is rated PG.
🎃 Fall Fest at SPF
October 10 | Lincoln Park | Ticketed
SPF Chicago is holding a Fall Fest with family activities. This is worth checking out if your kids like active outings and you want something beyond the usual pumpkin patch.
🔨 Pumpkin Painting Party
October 10 | 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m. | Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum | $7 per pumpkin + museum admission
Pick a pumpkin and give it your own spin during the Nature Museum's family pumpkin-painting day.
🎬 Honey, I Shrunk the Kids at Music Box Theatre
October 10 & 11 | 11 a.m. | Southport Corridor | Ticketed
Another Indoor Kids weekend at Music Box, this time with the 1989 favorite Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. It runs 93 minutes.
🎬 Campfire Horrors: The Goonies
October 10 | 7 p.m. | Commercial Club Playground, 1845 W. Rice St. | FREE
Another good family pick from the Park District's outdoor movie series. The Goonies is rated PG and runs just under two hours. Dress for an October night outside.
🔨📚 After School LEGO Club
October 12 | 4–5 p.m. | Lincoln Park Library | FREE
Kids can tackle design challenges and have some open LEGO building time at the Lincoln Park Branch. Registration is required.
🔨📚 LEGO Night
October 12 | 4:30–5:30 p.m. | Blackstone Library, Hyde Park | FREE
Kids ages 4–12 can work through mini-brick building challenges, free-build and practice their STEAM skills.
🎃 Boo-tanical Bash
October 14 | 6–8 p.m. | Lincoln Park Conservatory | $20 adults, $10 ages 4–17, ages 3 and under FREE
The Conservatory gets a Halloween makeover for an evening of pumpkin painting, scavenger hunts, scary stories, magic, treats and more.
🔨 Lowe's Kids Workshop: Firefighting Plane
October 17 | 10 a.m. | Participating Lowe's stores | FREE
Kids can build and decorate their own firefighting rescue plane during this month's Lowe's workshop. Registration is available in advance.
🎃🍬 Spooky Zoo
October 17 | Lincoln Park Zoo | FREE
Come in costume for the zoo's annual kid-friendly Halloween celebration, including trick-or-treating and other seasonal fun.
🎃🍂 Oak Park Costume Parade & Fall Family Fun
October 17 | 10 a.m.–1 p.m. | Scoville Park & Oak Park Public Library | FREE
Start with a kids' costume parade around Scoville Park at 10 a.m. Families can then head into the Oak Park Public Library for activities and an Early Childhood Resource Fair.
🔨 LEGO Creativity Workshop
October 17 & 18 | LEGO Store at Water Tower Place
The LEGO Store's October Creativity Workshop is a Blooming Rainbow Party. The Water Tower location also offers free Little Builder classes for ages 2–5 at select times. Check availability before making a special trip.
The LEGO® Store Chicago
🍂 Open House Chicago
October 17 & 18 | Locations around Chicago | FREE
This isn't specifically a kids' event, but it's a fun one for curious older kids. More than 200 architecturally and culturally significant locations around the city open their doors for behind-the-scenes access. Pick a couple of nearby sites rather than trying to tackle the whole city.
🎃 Falloween at Lakeshore Sport & Fitness
October 18 | Lincoln Park
Lakeshore Sport & Fitness brings back its Falloween celebration. Check the event listing for this year's activities, admission and registration details.
🔨📚 Halloween Origami
October 20 | 4–5 p.m. | Lincoln Park Library | FREE
Tweens and teens ages 10–19 can learn to fold Halloween pumpkins, ghosts and creepy cats. Supplies and snacks are provided, and registration is required.
This is one of those Saturdays when you could easily fill the entire day.
🎃🍬 Spooktacular: Lincoln Avenue
October 24 | 1–4 p.m. | Lincoln Park | FREE
Kids can trick-or-treat at participating businesses along Lincoln Avenue between Diversey and Webster.
🎃 Howler at Bauler
October 24 | 3 p.m. | Bauler Park, Lincoln Park
A neighborhood Halloween event at Bauler Park that can easily be paired with Spooktacular along Lincoln Avenue.
🎃 The Haunted Museum
October 24 | 4–7 p.m. | ISAC Museum, Hyde Park | $5–$10; under 3 FREE
This is one of the more unusual Halloween events on the list. Families can go on a guided demon hunt, hear spooky stories, make crafts, see a mummification demonstration, get faces painted and hear live music from the Dirt Red Brass Band. Adults accompanying a paying child are free.
🎭🎃 Arts in the Dark
October 24 | 6–8 p.m. | Columbus Drive from Balbo to Jackson | FREE
Giant puppets, floats, dancers, musicians and performers take over Columbus Drive for Chicago's nighttime Halloween arts parade. Costumes are encouraged.
🎭🎬 Edward Scissorhands In Concert
October 24 | 7:30 p.m. | Auditorium Theatre | Ticketed
A fun option for families with older kids and teens: watch Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands on the big screen while the Chicago Philharmonic performs Danny Elfman's score live.
Auditorium Theatre
🎃🍬 Spooktacular: Clark Street
October 25 | 1–4 p.m. | Lincoln Park | FREE
Day two of Lincoln Park's Spooktacular moves to Clark Street and Diversey, where participating neighborhood businesses hand out treats to costumed kids.
🎃 BOO-seum Bash
October 25 | 10 a.m.–1 p.m. | Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum | Ticketed
Snakes, creepy crawlers, animal encounters, crafts, an owl-pellet dissection and a peek into the museum's collections make this one especially good for kids who prefer bugs and bones to princesses and pumpkins. Costumes are welcome, and admission includes the museum's exhibits and Butterfly Haven.
🎃🍬 Pumpkins in the Park + Trunk or Treat
October 25 | 1–4 p.m. | Nichols Park, Hyde Park | FREE
Pumpkin decorating, crafts, music, stories, disc golf, photo backdrops, a costume contest and trunk-or-treating fill Nichols Park for the afternoon.
🎃🍬 Trick or Treat on Southport
October 26 | 4–7 p.m. | Southport Avenue from Roscoe to Grace | FREE
Trick-or-treat at neighborhood businesses, then stick around for crafts, games, music, inflatables, photo opportunities and a pumpkin patch near Southport and Waveland.
🎃📚 Halloween Celebration at Blackstone Library
October 28 | 4–7 p.m. | Hyde Park | FREE
Kids ages 5 and up can come in costume for crafts, snacks, games and Halloween fun at the Blackstone Branch.
🎃📚 Halloween Story Time Party
October 28 | 6:30–7:30 p.m. | Austin-Irving Library | FREE
Halloween books, activities, crafts and a costume parade geared toward kids ages 2–6 and their caregivers.
🎃 Halloween Party at Lincoln Park Cultural Center
October 29 | 4–6 p.m. | Lincoln Park | FREE
Kids can come in costume for Halloween games, treats and crafts at this Chicago Park District celebration.
🎬 Ernest Scared Stupid at Music Box Theatre
October 31 | 11:30 a.m. | Southport Corridor | Ticketed
For families who like their Halloween movies a little silly, Music Box is showing Ernest Scared Stupid in 35mm on Halloween morning.
🎃🍬 Upside Down Halloween Parade
October 31 | Noon–2 p.m. | Washington Park | FREE
Instead of standing and watching a parade go by, families become part of this one. Walk down Russell Drive past DJs, dancers, jugglers and other performers, with treats along the route and goodie bags for kids while supplies last.
🎃🔨 Halloween pARTy at The Paintbrush
October 31 | 2–4 p.m. | Lincoln Park | $40
Before heading out to trick-or-treat, kids can make Halloween art projects, decorate cookies and trick-or-treat around the studio. Costumes are optional.
🎃 The Park After Dark
October 31 | 7–10 p.m. | Chase Park | $16
Chase Park transforms its old theater into a haunted house for Halloween. This one is listed for all ages but is not recommended for kids under 10, so save it for families with older kids who actually want to be scared.
Happening Throughout October on Multiple Dates
🎃 Fall Fest at Lincoln Park Zoo
Through November 1 | FREE admission
If you don't make it during one of the zoo's special Halloween events, Fall Fest itself runs throughout the month.
🎬 Campfire Horrors in the Parks
Fridays & Saturdays in October | Various Chicago parks | FREE
The Chicago Park District is showing spooky movies outdoors on Friday and Saturday nights throughout October, with the exception of Halloween. Some are much more kid-friendly than others, so check the movie rating before packing up the family.
🎃 Halloween in the Parks
Neighborhood Chicago parks are hosting pumpkin patches, haunted houses, crafts, movies, trunk-or-treats and Halloween parties throughout the month. New events may also be added as October goes along.
A quick reminder: Event details can change, and many workshops and smaller events have limited capacity. Check with the venue before heading out, especially if registration or tickets are required.
Did we miss a great family fall or Halloween event between Hyde Park, Lincoln Square and Oak Park? Send it our way!
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Farms near Chicago(land) for Family Fun
Didier Farms
16678 W Aptakisic Rd., Lincolnshire, IL 60069
Details: Didier Farms offers a variety of vegetables and flowers in our greenhouse this spring, and our farmers market in summer.
During our Pumpkinfest, the last week of September and all of October, corn maze, straw maze, pony rides, camel rides, kiddie rides, pumpkin playland and have an animal land to explore, in beautiful Lake County, Illinois
More information: https://didierfarms.com
All Season Orchard
14510 IL Route 176, Woodstock, IL 60098
Details: All Seasons Orchard is an apple orchard, pumpkin patch and corn maze located in Woodstock, IL in McHenry County. We are near the Chicago metropolitan area and Rockford and are open daily in September and October. View our hours and directions. Stop by to pick your own apples in our orchard or play in our Barnyard. We’re a favorite fall destination for families and groups alike and offer the ideal activities for a day of all fun! If you’re interested in apple picking or pumpkin picking near you, we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you at All Seasons Orchard this Fall!
More information: https://allseasonsorchard.com
Historic Wagner Farm
1510 Wagner Rd., Glenview, IL 60026
Details: Take a leap back in time to farm life from decades past. Wagner Farm provides a unique opportunity for families to learn about its heritage. The Heritage Center is home to many exhibits that teach “life on the farm” during early 20th century. Shop at our 1930’s Grocery Store or purchase a souvenir from the Museum Store. This month you can find fall and halloween activities on the weekends. Check their calendar for information. Open Daily 10-5
More information: https://glenviewparks.org/facilities/historic-wagner-farm/
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Leaf peeping in Chicago
Winnemac Park
5100 N Leavitt Street
Details: This large park in the north Chicago neighborhood of Lincoln Square is a favorite in fall. Their mature trees and nature prairie habitat makes for a beautiful setting for fall fun with the family.
Garfield Park Conservatory
300 N Central Park Ave
Details: A year round favorite for Chicago families, the outdoor gardens are alive with fall foliage each year. Check out their calendar for upcoming fall events too!
Lincoln Park
500 to 5700 N Lake Shore Drive
Details: The largest park in Chicago, stretching from Ohio Street Beach to the Edgewater neighborhood, there are plenty of places to enjoy falls changing colors. If you want to make the most of your time then stick to the area around the Lincoln Park Conservatory and Zoo. The Nature Walk near the pond is a favorite, especially this time of year.
Chicago Botanic Garden
1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022
Details: This beautiful botanic garden is north of Chicago, but it is still accessible by (Metra) train for those who prefer to leave the car at home (or don't own one). If you hop off at the Braeside station it's about a 20 min walk along a great path to the entrance. You can also use the Glencoe station and then take a Northbrook Court PACE bus, which will bring you to the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Your Local Park or Neighborhood
Details: Chicago has no shortage of beautiful trees, gardens and parks throughout the city. Find one near you and enjoy a picnic, read a story with the family or find leaves to use in a project later at home like these.
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Bring the Fall Fun home with these activities:
Fall Leaf Man and Fox
DIY Fall Bunting
Fall Clothespin Fairies
Fall Leaf Watercolor Craft
Fall Scavenger Hunt & Craft
We will continue to update our Macaroni KID Chicago Fall Fun Guide with events as they are posted, so check back often!
Do you know of a family-friendly fall event or attraction in Chicago that isn't listed here? Please submit your event here!
