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Boo at the Zoo, Brookfield Zoo. Photo courtesy of the author.
Boo at the Zoo, Brookfield Zoo. Photo courtesy of the author.
10/9/24 - By Maureen Wilkey

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 the Chicago Marathon street closures, you can celebrate Italian Americans at the Columbus Day Parade, Hispanic Heritage Month at College of DuPage's Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl, and Native American culture with SOARRING's Harvest Pow Wow.

With the approach of Halloween, it's a good time for Wheaton's Halloween Happening, Brookfield Zoo Chicago's Boo at the Zoo, or Lemontster Days Drive-in Movie.  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.

More Things To Do in Chicago this Week with Kids 

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Aztec Dancers at the Harvest Pow Wow. Event photo courtesy of the Midwest Soarring Foundation.
Aztec Dancers at the Harvest Pow Wow. Event photo courtesy of the Midwest Soarring Foundation.

Things To Do This Weekend In Chicago With Kids

Fall Fest - Lincoln Park Zoo

Lincoln Park - FREE (fees for some activities)
Daily through October 27
Fall Fest offers a pumpkin patch, hay mountain, professional pumpkin carvers, Ferris wheel and more throughout Lincoln Park Zoo. READ MORE

Jack's Pumpkin Pop-Up

Goose Island
Daily through October 31
While decidedly more of an adults-only place after 7pm, during the day, Jack's Pumpkin Pop-Up is a great place for kids of all ages to enjoy an interactive pumpkin-themed pop-up, complete with a corn maze and carnival games. Kids 4 and under are FREE! READ MORE

Brick-or-Treat Monster Party!

Schaumburg
Daily through October 31
Get into the Halloween spirit as LEGO® Monsters take over LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago and throw a Monster Party you don't want to miss!   New for 2024: brew up fun at the Potion Kitchen, a place to create potions of all sorts by combining your building creativity. Plus, enjoy monster-ific activities and an exclusive 4D Halloween movie, The Great Monster Chase, during the family Halloween event.  READ MORE

Halloween Happening

Wheaton - FREE
Friday, October 11
The Brigham House is hosting a Halloween party with singing, dancing, and trick or treating fun. READ MORE

Lemontster Days Drive-In Movies

Lemont
Friday, October 11
The Lemont Park District presents the Disney film Casper to celebrate Halloween and the Day of the Dead. READ MORE

Zombie Candy Hunt

LaGrange Park < br> Friday, October 11
Zombies have hidden candy in Sedgwick Park and kids must dress up in costumes to come find it! Bring your own flashlight and bag or bucket to fill with goodies. READ MORE

St. Charles Scarecrow Festival

St. Charles- FREE (with fee for rides)
Friday, October 11-Sunday, October 13
More than 100 handmade and mechanical scarecrows will be on display in downtown St. Charles for this 35th annual fall tradition. Families can make their own scarecrow, enjoy live entertainment, shop at the arts and crafts show, or ride carnival rides while enjoying the fall weather. READ MORE

Milo Imagines The World - A World Premiere Musical

West Loop
Opens Saturday, October 12
MILO IMAGINES THE WORLD is a musical odyssey of imagination. Through vibrant song, expressive dance, and a whole lot of imagination, this magical, musical journey takes us through the mind of a child, as he learns to see the world as it really is. A journey from house to home, this play is a real ride! READ MORE

All Hallows Eve: A Festival of Fun at Promenade Bolingbrook

Bolingbrook - FREE
Saturday, October 12
The Bolingbrook Area Chamber of Commerce and The Promenade have teamed up to present a unique and exciting way to celebrate Halloween. The All Hallows Eve Festival of Fun is a free community event that has something for everyone. From spooky games, a costume parade, trick or treating, and a craft fair, the festival is sure to appeal to all ages. READ MORE

DIY Scarecrow Day

Long Grove
Saturday, October 12
Families can bring old clothes to stuff with straw to historic downtown Long Grove to make their own scarecrow. Scarecrows will be displayed throughout the downtown area through October 25, when families can pick up their scarecrows or donate the leftover clothes to charity. READ MORE

Family Fishing Days

Palos Heights
Saturday, October 12
Enjoy a day of fishing with the family at Lake Katherine in Palos Heights. All fishing will be catch and release. This event is for fun—fish will not be weighed or measured and no prizes will be awarded. READ MORE

Oktoberfest at the Berghoff

Downtown - FREE (cost for food)
Closes Saturday, October 12
Chicago’s Berghoff Restaurant and Adams Street Brewery host guests for authentic German specials, festive Oktoberfest decor, and two Fest Biers brewed in-house by Adams Street Brewery. The restaurant will also have live musicon Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, featuring Berghoff favorites Alpine Thunder, Dirndolls, Die Muskimeisters, and Die Kellerknaben Polka Band! READ MORE

Boo at the Zoo

Brookfield
Saturday & Sunday, October 12-October 13
Kids can trick or treat with the animals at Brookfield Zoo at this not-so-scary event during the three weekends leading up to Halloween. Other activities include giant pumpkin carving, a Halloween craft, cupcake and cookie decorating, a haunted hayride, a creepy cowboy carousel, a corn maze, a pumpkin smasher, a costume parade, and a costume contest. READ MORE

Hinsdale Fall Family Fest

Hinsdale - FREE
Saturday, October 12
West suburban families can visit Katherine Legge Park to paint pumpkins, enjoy giveaways from local businesses, visit food trucks, and trick-or-treat at downtown businesses. Inflatables and roaming entertainment will also be on hand. READ MORE

Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl

Glen Ellyn
Saturday, October 12
Coinciding with Hispanic Heritage Month, the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) welcomes back Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl, the internationally renowned, Aurora-based Mexican folk-dance troupe. Guest vocalist Goyo (“Goyito”) Cruz joins the 70-person troupe for this performance featuring brilliantly colored costumes, joyous dance numbers, and beautiful music. READ MORE

Cantigny Fall Fest

Wheaton
Saturday & Sunday, October 12- 13
Cantigny Park hosts a celebration of fall complete with hay rides, pumpkin decorating, a petting zoo, wax hands, inflatables, and face painting. Live music will play on Cantigny's Parade FIeld. Families can purchase seasonal foods at food trucks or at Bernie's Bistro in the Visitors Center. A kids' book fair and plant and pumpkin sale bring more seasonal fun to the event. READ MORE

Open House Chicago

Citywide- FREE
Saturday & Sunday, October 12-October 13
The Chicago Architecture Center is proud to host the annual Open House Chicago (OHC) a month-long celebration showcasing Chicago’s built environment. New for the October launch is a free family-oriented outdoor trail focused on The Great Chicago Fire. Take a tour of the Chicago Loop with a trained Education Guide on Oct. 16 & 17 as we explore the lessons learned after the fire and relics from that era we can still see today. READ MORE

Harvest Pow Wow

Wheaton
Saturday & Sunday, October 12-13
Touring a tipi, making arrowheads, watching presentations about horses and birds of prey, and listening to Native American music are just a few of the activities available for children at SOARRING's Annual Harvest Pow Wow. Dancers and drummers will perform continuously throughout most of the festival, and families can also sample Native American foods and learn more about Native American Culture. READ MORE

Wonder Wheels at Wonder Works

Oak Park
Saturday & Sunday, October 12-October 13
Vroom! Vroom! Wonder Wheels will be zooming back to Wonder Works Children’s Museum! For just two days, children and their families will be able to explore wheels by sitting behind the wheel of real trucks and vehicles, doing laps around the tiny tots vehicle race track, playing in a giant sand pit mini construction site, and designing LEGO cars to test on a pinewood derby track.  READ MORE

Fall Fest at Jefferson Park

Jefferson Park - FREE
Sunday, October 13
Kids can visit Jefferson Park to pick and decorate their own pumpkin. The family-friendly event will feature arts & crafts for the kiddos, Halloween costume swap and of course PUMPKINS. Plus, tons of fun in the park! READ MORE

Columbus Day Parade

Downtown - FREE
Monday, October 14
Chicagoans of all ages can enjoy watching 150 groups, including bands, floats, and marchers, march down State Street for the 72nd annual Columbus Day Parade.  READ MORE
12 Haunted Houses in Chicago Perfect for Families Who Love Thrills and Chills. Photo courtesyof Sonny Acres Farm
12 Haunted Houses in Chicago Perfect for Families Who Love Thrills and Chills. Photo courtesyof Sonny Acres Farm

More fun things to do in Chicago with kids this weekend

Oktoberfest in Chicago: The Best Oktoberfests for Families in Chicago

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12 Haunted Houses in Chicago Perfect for Families Who Love Thrills and Chills

Are your big kids and teens clamoring to be scared? Check out our list of the best haunted houses near Chicago. READ MORE

Best of October: Halloween, Fall Fests, and More Fun Things To Do in Chicago

While you're deciding what to do for Halloween, October has plenty of other fun going on. READ MORE

Top Halloween Events in Chicago for Kids and Families: Pumpkins, Trick-or-Treat, Movies, and More

Your guide to the best Halloween events near Chicago for kids in 2024. READ MORE

Top Free Halloween Events In Chicago: Trick-or-Treating, Free Movies, and More

These free Halloween events for kids will give your wallet a break. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Throughout the Chicago Metropolitan Area
Midnight Terror Haunted House