Looking for the best things to do in Chicago this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend.

The weekend formerly known as Columbus Day weekend now celebrates a variety of cultures throughout Chicago. If you can get around town with street closures for the Chicago Marathon, you can celebrate Italian Americans at the Columbus Day Parade, Hispanic Heritage Month at Humboldt Park's Culture Jam, and Czech and Slovak culture at Cicero's Houby Day. 

With the approach of Halloween, it's a good time for The Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival and Navy Pier's Harry Potter Halloween Party. Your pet can also test-drive a costume at the Brookfield Zoo's Boo at the Zoo (we'll be there Sunday morning). There are illuminated pumpkins to peep at Navy Pier and Goose Island, pop-up pumpkin patches to explore at the Cosley Zoo and Indian Boundary Park, and even glass pumpkins to admire at the Morton Arboretum, in addition to a cute Scarecrow Trail. Over 100 handmade scarecrows will be on display at this weekend's St. Charles Scarecrow Festival, or if you're looking to build your own, visit Long Grove's DIY Scarecrow Day.

And that's just the start of a long list of fall fun things to do this weekend in Chicago with kids. Good thing there's an extra day—you'll need it. Looking for more things to do with kids? Don't miss our ever-expanding event calendar and our roundup of Free Things to Do This Fall with Chicago Kids.