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It’s that time again! The fun part about living in the Chicagoland area is how many Halloween events in Chicago are available to get your family in the holiday spirit.
Fantastic Halloween Events in Chicago
Halloween Haven at the French Market – Costume fun for everyone! With over 30+ vendors participating it is an easy, stress-free event to take the kids to on the weekend! You can grab fall eats and treats, candy and sweets, plus there will be specials and coupons from participating vendors! It’s free too! Just look for the pumpkins to locate participating vendors. October 28th 10am-Noon
Annual Boo At The Zoo Event at Brookfield Zoo – Get a head start on some Halloween fun at Brookfield Zoo’s annual Boo! at the Zoo, presented by Ferrara Candy Company and sponsored by Meijer. On Saturdays and Sundays, October 21-22 and 28-29, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m guests of all ages can show off their Halloween costumes plus enjoy family-friendly and spooky fun activities. There is a parade, candy stations, a pumpkin smasher, Crazed Maize Corn Maze, plus some fun facts about the zoo’s furry friends and creepiest critters at special Zoo Chats scheduled throughout the day!
Spooky Zoo Spectacular at Lincoln Park Zoo – Spooky Zoo Spectacular 2017, hosted by the Auxiliary Board of Lincoln Park Zoo, will give children the opportunity to celebrate Halloween in a free, safe, and family-friendly environment. This year’s celebration will mark the 31st anniversary of this beloved Halloween-themed celebration!
Lincoln Park Zoo also has Lincoln Park Zoo’s 3rd Annual Fall Fest will be a free, family-friendly event in the heart of Chicago. The fest will include musical entertainment, a pumpkin patch, animal chats, and treats for the zoo animals. In addition to the free activities at the zoo, there will be ticketed attractions at the zoo, including a Ferris wheel, a tractor-themed carousel at Farm-in-the-Zoo, corn maze, a towering burlap sack slide, inflatable obstacle course, and more. Tickets for the ticketed attractions will be $3 each or sold in 10 ticket packages for $27, or 20 for $51. Pumpkins will be available for purchase at the Pumpkin Patch.
Spooky Zoo Spectacular – Lincoln Park Zoo Grounds 10 a.m.–1 p.m
Fall Fest – Sept. 29-Oct. 29 Weekends (Fri.-Sun.) plus Oct. 9
Night of 1,000 Jack-o-lanterns at the Botanical Gardens – More than 1,000 hand-carved pumpkins—some as large as 150 pounds—will light up the night at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns is the only event of its kind in the Chicago area. Using scalpels, knives, gouges, and power tools, artists for the New York-based company Rise of the Jack O’Lanterns spend up to 15 hours sculpting a single pumpkin. The LED-lit jack-o’-lanterns will be staged along a festive, paved pathway, starting at the Esplanade. Along the way, encounter entertaining characters, watch live carving, and view the ghostly trains in the Model Railroad Garden: Landmarks of America.
Thursday – Sunday, October 26 – 29, 2017 6:30 – 10:30 p.m.
Halloween at Navy Pier – Navy Pier has all the fun and fright this month as Chicago’s mission-driven cultural district celebrates Halloween with a wicked week of special events, including two outdoor feature films, Halloween-themed music performances, Haunted Maze, boat cruises and parties, a “spooktacular” fireworks show and much more.
Halloween at Navy Pier is moved to Polk Park, due to the construction of the pier. There will be free outdoor movie screenings of Fright Flicks, which will be family-friendly. On Oct. 21 the movies will be Monsters, Inc. and Ghostbusters (2016). On Oct. 28 the movies will be Monster House and Beetlejuice. The Spooktacular Halloween Fireworks show over Lake Michigan will be presented by Miller Lite on Oct. 28 at 9:30 p.m. There is also an Odyessy Masquerade Fireworks Dinner Cruise for adults October 28th from 7-10 pm.
Halloween events at Navy Pier will be free and open to the public. For times and prices visit Free and Fun Halloween Events at Navy Pier.
Arts in the Dark – Arts in the Dark unites the city’s diverse creative community in a magical nighttime parade. Drawing together world-renowned institutions as well as artists in assorted fields, this dramatic display activates Halloween as the “artist’s holiday”.
This family-friendly spectacle will begin as dusk arrives and will include live music, unique floats, fanciful giant puppets and more. The parade is produced by LUMA8 and will be led by 8 creative leaders whose work has animated our city in a powerful way. Join us for an evening of entertainment in one of the most important cultural districts in the nation!
Saturday, October 21, 2017, 6-8pm – On Columbus Dr. moving North from Balbo to Monroe St.
Wheaton Haunted Flea Market (my old hometown) – Come in costume to the Wheaton Haunted Halloween Flea Market for live music, food vendors, and antiques & collectibles for sale at DuPage County Fairgrounds. It’s a lot of fun!!!!!
Dupage County Fairgrounds – Saturday, October 21st, 2017! 3pm to Midnight / $7 (admission) . Children 12 and under are free. Free parking.
Doggie Halloween Party at Brands Park – Halloween has gone to the dogs! Dress up your dog in a Halloween Costume and come out for a day of games, vendors, and contest.
Saturday, October 28, 2017 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Brands Park 3259 N. Elston Ave. Chicago, Illinois 60618
Have a Happy, Fun Halloween!!
