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Streator gearing up for Halloween with weekend of events

Downtown Streator hosts a weekend of Halloween fun

Crowds of children and adults scattered Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, throughout Streator during the annual downtown trick or treat.

As Halloween approaches, downtown Streator will be the place to be this weekend if you’re looking to get in the holiday spirit with a variety of events for all ages.

The fun begins Friday, Oct. 24, with the Streator Chamber of Commerce’s first-ever Halloween Spooktacular, running 4 to 8 p.m. downtown.

Guests are encouraged to come in costume for an evening featuring drink tastings, a scavenger hunt, costume contests and a sneak peek at the Streator Public Library’s New Orleans-themed haunted house.

Tickets are $25 and include five drink samples at participating businesses and a bingo-style scavenger hunt card.

People who complete a bingo can enter to win prizes from the “cauldron of prizes.” Hot drinks will be available, and prizes will be awarded for best costume and accessories.

The first 100 people to register on Eventbrite will receive a commemorative wine glass.

Participating businesses include More of Me, VanDuzer Jewelers, Refurbished Treasures, The Queen Bee, Three Wishes, Charlie Lou’s Boutique, The Thread Revival and The 318.

Saturday morning, Oct. 25, downtown trick-or-treating returns from 9 a.m. to noon. About 50 businesses will hand out candy from Main Street east of the Vermilion River to Wasson Street between Bridge and Hickory streets.

First United Methodist Church partnered with the Chamber to create a map of participating businesses to help families plan their route.

A map of participating downtown Streator businesses for Saturday morning’s trick-or-treating event.

Businesses taking part will display an orange pumpkin in their windows.

Al’s Place will serve food at Heritage Park, and the Friends of the Streator Public Library will hand out free books to children 12 and younger at the library, 130 S. Park St., First United Methodist Church, 201 S. Monroe St., and New Beginnings Baptist Church, 204 S. Monroe St., will also host trunk-or-treats in their parking lots.

Saturday evening brings the 30th Streator Annual Halloween Hunt, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Teke’s Lounge. The scavenger hunt has been a local tradition since the mid-1990s, created by Scott “Remo” Williams, and continues to draw more than 100 participants each year.

Teams, typically families and friends in one vehicle, race across Streator solving clues that combine words, pictures, codes and cyphers, many of which are related to Streator history.

Over the past 15 years, the event has also become a fundraiser for local charities and causes, with hundreds of dollars donated annually to local organizations, including the Streatorland Food Pantry, Friends of the Streator Public Library, the Naramore Cemetery Restoration Fund and the Streator Cancer Resource Center and Wig Program.

While the top three teams earn cash prizes, the majority of proceeds go to charity.

This year’s theme, “Borrowed Time,” celebrates 30 years of the game.

Teams must register online ahead of time, as the number of clue packets is limited. Registration and more information, including past clues, can be found on the Streator Annual Halloween Hunt Facebook page. The cost is $20 per person.

Streator Police Chief John Franklin reminds participants and drivers to use caution throughout the weekend, especially downtown, where sidewalks and crosswalks will be filled with families and trick-or-treaters.

For more information about any of the weekend’s events, visit the Streator Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook page or call 815-672-2921.

Bill Freskos

Bill Freskos is a multimedia journalist based in the Illinois Valley. He covers hard news, local government, sports, business enterprise, and politics while contributing to Shaw Local Radio stations for Shaw Media across La Salle, Bureau, and Putnam counties.