Come trick-or-treating and see the zoo decked out in its Halloween finery. There will also be a costume parade!

Fall Fest at Lincoln Park Zoo features ticketed attractions throughout the zoo, including a Fun Slide, Ferris wheel, inflatable activities, and much more. While you stroll through the decorated gardens bursting with fall color, you’ll enjoy free musical entertainment, professional pumpkin carvers, a pumpkin patch, and fall-themed enrichment for the animals. Every weekend will offer something new!

Enjoy a trick or treat path (with registration), inflatables, crafts, games and activities, face painting, costume contest, live music and stage events, hayride, and more!

Come see the animals and take in the thousands of pumpkins scattered on the lawn at Cosley Zoo. Children’s rides are also available for an additional fee. Apples, gourds, pumpkins, cider, cornstalks, and various sizes of straw bales are available to purchase

What better place to read - and relive! - the classic Christmas story, The Polar Express, than on a holiday-decked out Amtrak train? Kids are encouraged to wear their pjs on this epic adventure, and will receive a mug of hot chocolate, cookie, and sleigh bell to bring home. The train ride is 1 hour.

All aboard the Polar Express Storytime Train! Take this exciting train ride, based on the book, “The Polar Express” by Chris Van Allsburg. Children and their parents will listen to the story while enjoying chocolate milk and cookies. When you reach the “North Pole,” Santa will join you for a meet & greet with photos, and on the way back, enjoy a “snowball fight” to your favorite holiday carols. Families are encouraged to wear their pajamas and bring their holiday spirit!

Riders will board the train in Roselle for their trip to the “North Pole” (Elgin) to pick up Santa. Santa will visit with each family on the train and give the First Gift of Christmas. Back at the station, Santa will visit with each child, refreshments will be served, and each child will receive a keepsake.

For one weekend only, at Autumn Drive you can pick your own pumpkin, and enjoy the hayrides, petting zoo and tractor rides that will be available for extra fun! While there you can also shop fresh produce, arts and crafts, and explore some antiques!

Honey Hill Orchard offers u-pick pumpkins as well as apples. Kids will enjoy the petting zoo and get busy running/navigating though a straw maze and more. Don't forget to visit their bakery for some tasty treats!

The Yaegers Farm Market comes alive with colorful gourds, pumpkins, and traditional fall décor every fall. The lawns are full of pumpkins in all shapes and sizes. Chrysanthemums ranging in color from red, orange, and yellow to pink, purple, and green add to the excitement of fall decorating. Every weekend a free hayride takes riders out to the hidden pumpkin patch to pick their own pumpkin.

Cody's Farm & Orchards offers hayrides to pick your own pumpkin, a 5-acre corn maze, and a kids' play area with a corn box, sandbox, play tractor, and photo ops.

In addition to their apple orchard and pumpkin patch. Goebbert's Farm features a pumpkin express train, a pumpkin slide, a pumpkin-eating dinosaur, a corn box, a carousel, a jumping pillow, pedal karts, a wagon ride, a playground, and more.

A celebration of all things fall, Pumpkin Weekends take place Saturdays & Sundays throughout October plus Columbus Day. 

Located within Maryknoll Park, bring the whole family for a round of mini-golf which includes 36 holes! The facility offers several convenient spaces for families such as large seating patio area and a full concession stand to help you have an easy day out. The course is roomy, has a big waterfall, and is full of fun.

Valley Orchard is a 35-acre, family-owned orchard with approximately 5,000 apple trees. You have a choice of either picking your own apples or purchasing pre-picked apples in their store. They also have yummy cider donuts, apple pies, cinnamon bread, caramel apples and fudge.

The DePaul University Theatre School offers shows that are accommodated for and geared towards kids with different abilities. Every show will include one sensory friendly performance, including accommodations such as low noise and soft light. Performances interpreted in American Sign Language will be offered along with assistive listening devices. The theatre also provides a live audio description of the visual and physical events onstage in order to accommodate children who are blind or have low vision. The location is wheelchair accessible.

Enjoy traditional Irish food, music, dance, competitions and drinks.

In addition to traditional German food and drink, add to your entertainment with a visit to the amusement section of the fest and enjoy the many carnival games.