Spooktacular community gatherings and Day of the Dead celebrations will be held in the Elgin area now through the first weekend in November. Here’s a rundown of many of them to help you start making plans.
Something Wicked is running now through Sunday, Oct. 26, in the gallery at Side Street Studio Arts, 15 Ziegler Court, Elgin. The free exhibit features works from 55 artists “whose subject matter is meant to instill a combined sense of wonder, awe, and perhaps a little dread,” according to its website. An opening reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3. For gallery hours and information, go to www.sidestreetstudioarts.org/event-details/something-wicked-xiii.
A Ghost Story Train runs at 5, 6:15 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 11, 18 and 25, at the Fox River Trolley Museum, 365 S. LaFox St., South Elgin. The rides are family-friendly and suitable for all ages. Tickets are $20 per person. For information, go to foxtrolley.org.
Dark Hollows Haunted Hayride and Haunted Lantern Hike are being held at Three Fires Council/Scouting America’s Camp Big Timber, 37W955 Big Timber Road, Elgin. Register for a time slot from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 11, Oct. 18, Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, and Fridays, Oct. 17, Oct. 24 and Oct. 31. Tickets are $18.27 and $26.90. For information, go to www.darkhollowshayride.org.
Halloween Boo Bash will be from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, on the lawn outside Gail Borden Public Library’s Rakow Branch, 2751 W. Bowes Road, Elgin. The free costume party will feature a pumpkin carving demonstration, games and crafts. For more information, go to www.gailborden.info/halloween.
Boo Thru, a reverse trunk-or-treat, takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, at Randall Oaks Park, 1180 N. Randall Road, West Dundee. Participants drive through a family-friendly haunted trail in the park to collect candy at scheduled times. The event is free, but registration is required. For information, go to www.dtpd.org/boo-thru.
El Trote De Las Calacas (The Skeleton Trot), a 5K race and walk, will step off at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, from a course that begins and ends at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin. Race registration closes Friday, Oct. 3, and the public is welcome to watch in person or on the library’s Facebook page. The running of the skeletons will include giant puppets, live music and food. After the race, the El Trote Marketplace Festival will open at 10 a.m. inside the library. For information, go to gailborden.info/trote.
Ofrenda comunitaria del Día de Muertos, a Day of the Dead exhibit, will be open at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin, from Thursday, Oct. 23, through Thursday, Nov. 6. An opening reception will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in the library’s Meadows Community Rooms. For more information, go to attend.gailborden.info/event/12231034.
The silent movie “The Phantom of the Opera” (1925) and the animated short “Koko’s Haunted House” will be shown starting at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at First Congregational Church, 256 E Chicago St., Elgin. Live pipe organ accompaniment will be performed by Ben Model. For more information, call 847-741-4045 or email jneufeld@fcc-elgin.org.
A 5K Costumed Fun Run, Mini Monster Dash and trunk-or-treating will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 25, in Carpenter Park, 275 Maple Ave., Carpentersville. Registration for the race, which begins at 9 a.m., is $20. The free, family-friendly dash starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by trunk-or-treating. For more information, go to www.cville.org/611/5K-SPOOKY-SPRINT-HAUNTED-HAPPENINGS.
West Dundee Halloween Party takes place from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, in Grafelman Park, 112 N. Fifth St. The free event will feature kids’ activities, a trunk-or-treat, costume contest, fall refreshments, pumpkin decorating and a donation drive for the FISH Food Pantry. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/WestDundeeHalloweenParty.
Halloween in the Hollow will be held from 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, in Sabatino Park, 145 Thorobred Lane, Sleepy Hollow. The free event features a costume parade, pumpkin decorating, hayrides, a chili cooking contest, concessions and a bonfire. The Headless Horseman appears at the end. For information, go to www.sleepyhollowil.org/community/page/halloween-hollow-1.
Dundee Township Park District’s Dia de los Muertos Celebration will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Rakow Center, 665 Barrington Ave., Carpentersville. A community ofrenda will be on display and there will be games, crafts, live music, entertainment, face painting, food trucks and vendors. Tickets are $2, with a limit of five per family. For information, go to www.dtpd.org/dia-de-los-muertos.
Nightmare on Chicago Street, a street party centered around a fictious zombie apocalypse, takes place from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, in downtown Elgin. Tickets are $35 online and $40 at the gate. VIP passes cost $80. For more information, go to www.nightmareonchicagostreet.com.
Dundee Library Halloween Parade is set for 6 to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, at the library, 555 Barrington Ave., East Dundee. The event is free but children must be accompanied by adults. For information, go to www.frvpld.info/event/halloween-parade-and-extravaganza-81166.
A Día de los Muertos ofrenda will be on display from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 27, through Monday, Nov. 3, in the E. Max von Isser Gallery of Art, Building B, Bookstore Hallway and Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive. For information, go to elgin.edu/calendar/student-life-events/celebrating-latinx-heritage-dia-de-los-muertos-ofrenda.php.
The Elgin Police Department Halloween Extravaganza will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, outside police headquarters, 151 Douglas Ave. The free event will feature family fun, music, community resources, a haunted house, trick-or-treating, snacks and a costume contest for kids 12 and younger. For information, call 847-289-2588 or go to www.facebook.com/events/818914860474776?ref=110.
Family Lego Challenge: Halloween Edition takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, at Dundee Library, 555 Barrington Ave., East Dundee. The free event is for children 5 and older accompanied by an adult. For information, go to www.frvpld.info/event/family-lego-challenge-halloween-edition-81427.
Boo at the Zoo will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 1-2, at the Randall Oaks Zoo, 1180 N. Randall Road, West Dundee. Children can trick-or-treating all day, and there will be costume parades at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. For information, go to www.dtpd.org/boo-at-the-zoo.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
