Halloween

The DeKalb Park District will host several Halloween-themed events during the fall, including a house decorating contest. Here's how to get in on the spooky fun.

Opening its doors, Old Joliet Prison invites visitors to experience Flashlight Tours and Prison After Dark Guided Tours, among an array of events.

Local businesses rallied together to answer the call of a special education teacher at Sator Sanchez Elementary School in Joliet to give students a pumpkin farm experience.

Take a walk around Greenbriar Cemetery in Gilberts, go on a Monster Purge in Maple Park and take a ghost tour of Aurora this month.

David A. Grijalva, 23, of Joliet was arrested Thursday in Channahon by the Will County sheriff’s police and the United States Marshals Service and charged in connection with the 2021 mass shooting at a Halloween party in Joliet Township.

Here's a list of trick-or-treat hours, parades, festivals, discounted shopping and trunk or treats on tap to celebrate the spooky season.

Top-rated in Illinois and nationwide, Realm of Terror will make its theatrical debut as the backdrop for upcoming horror film “Haunt Season,” created by local filmmaker Jake Jarvi for Epic Pictures Group– just in time for the return of its 22nd season providing premium scares.

Eagle Ridge Resort in Galena is offering a Spooky Weekend Getaway Oct. 25-26, which includes tickets to its new Twilight Asylum Haunted House.

A variety of Halloween events in Kendall County will include attractions such as a Halloween Girls Night, the 10th Annual Boo Cruise and more.

Several Halloween attractions are coming up in Kane County, such as a Witches' Retreat, fall painting event and much more.

Wish Upon a Star will let the gourd times roll at noon Saturday with its The 5th Annual ‘Spooktacular’ Jack-O-Lantern Derby at the Croatian Cultural Club, 1503 Clement St. in Joliet. Admission is free. Races begin at 2 p.m.

Wear your favorite costume and search for spooktacular natural and super-natural items in the forest at the Spooky Scavenger Hunt at Four River Education Center in Channahon.

Get into the spirit of fall by participating in the Spooky Scavenger Hunt at our Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon.

The Oswego Cemetery Walk is Thursday, Oct. 3.

Hell's Gate haunted mansion in downtown Lockport opens for the Halloween season on Friday.

From the scary and not-so-scary, check out these pumpkin farms and other Halloween events happening in northern Illinois.

Get ready, site set-up began Sept. 16 for Jack O’ Lantern World Lake Zurich.

Kendall County will feature several Halloween-themed events, such as a pumpkin decorating workshop, Monster Mash Bash and more.

The Sterling Park District is hosting its 32nd annual Pumpkin Dash from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 5; Haunted Train Walk on the Dillon Home grounds is from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct 19.

The parade will begin and end at Haymarket Square, 317 W. Third St., and Treat Street will continue with a trunk-and-treat event at KSB Town Square Centre, 102 S. Hennepin Ave., and treats at participating downtown businesses.

The Joliet Pride Network will hold its Joliet PrideFest event on Saturday at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park and Theatre in Joliet. The family friendly event will feature live music, food, and activities for children and teens.

Six Flags Great America is set to celebrate an electrifying lineup for the fall season, including an impressive addition of terrifying horror franchises during the park’s highly anticipated annual event.

Beware the looming spider dangling from the trees. She’s bigger than a Bentley, and she has her eyes on you. At least, she will have, if you’re among the brave who embark on a Halloween Experience trolley tour at the Volo Museum this season.

Kane County will feature a variety of fundraisers and fall events, including the Seventh Annual “Include Me” Gala, BatFest and more.

The six-day event will feature family fun, carnival rides, tasty snacks, trick-or-treating, costume contests, a seasonally themed arts and crafts, and the VIP: Very Insane Person bar and lounge.

The movie begins at 7 p.m. Come as you are or dress as your favorite witch.

5 Points Haunted House is a commercial offshoot of the Lehman Manor Halloween attraction. It will open Oct. 4 in the former site of Club 38 and Synergy nightclubs, at 241 W. Roosevelt Road in West Chicago.

The Spirit Halloween stores in Joliet and Bolingbrook are open for the Halloween shopping season.

Spooky Night Out on Sept. 14 is hosted by the Lockport Woman’s Club to benefit local charities.

Highlights of Fiesta en el Bicentennial Park include local artists, diverse food vendors and unique shops

The Halloween Experience trolley tours start Friday, Sept. 20.

The Red Roses, a Chicago-based band that performs alternative and indie hits, will perform Friday evening at the Joliet Area Historical Museum as part of the Rooftop Music Series.

Brookfield Zoo Chicago is gearing up for a fall season featuring a mix of new and returning events

Tickets for the haunted house venue at the old women’s prison at the former Joliet Correctional Center are on sale now. It reopens for the season on Sept. 13.

This Saturday bring lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy wine from Bishops Hill of Joliet and Sable Creek of Plainfield, art and live jazz bands.

Lockport City Council will consider extending Hell's Gate Haunted House's parking agreement with the city on Wednesday.

Association for Individual Development will host an “All Hallow’s Eve” benefit auction to raise money for individuals with developmental, behavioral and crisis needs across Kane, Kendall and other suburban counties.

The popular Halloween attraction burned to the ground in May, with the blaze destroying the structure, props, costumes, tools and equipment. What it didn’t take was the resolve of Haunted Haven owner, operator and spiritual leader Melissa Schultz.

No, I’m not referring to the sequel of the Michael Myers’ death fest franchise, I’m requesting a second night of costumes, fear induction and general creativity.

Byron firefighters held their annual event from 4-6 p.m. allowing area residents to bring their pumpkins to the station and make a grand exit when dropped from their fire tower in their Pumpkin Smash Event.

For October 27-November 2, 2023: Check out some of the best pictures captured by Daily Chronicle photographers for Shaw Local News Network this week.

Hawthorn will host a pumpkin recycling event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 4.

When your pumpkins start to lose their luster, don’t drop them into the trash or dump them in nature, smash them at the Forest Preserve District of Will County's Plum Creek Nature Center.

Kids in the Sauk Valley take to streets in chilly conditions for trick-or-treating fun Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023.

Kayli Whistler, who has a rare genetic disorder called Trisomy 18, got a Halloween costume that fits over her wheelchair.

Snowy weather did not deter trick-or-treaters from taking to the streets of DeKalb on Halloween night.

Snow flurries began swirling around 8 a.m. , with more snow showers expected to blow through this afternoon, providing a cold and wintry feel for Halloween trick-or-treaters in Will County.

St. Joseph Academy in Joliet hosts the haunted attraction as a fundraiser for its school – and the event has families in mind from start to finish.

Hundreds attended First Presbyterian Church of Joliet's 15th annual Trunk 'N Treat event on Oct. 28, never minding the rainy weather.

What time is trick-or-treating in DeKalb County? Here's a list of times by municipality, and other spooky, family-friendly events this month: