All Hallows Eve, a Naperville tradition at Naper Settlement for more than 20 years, is being replaced this year by a new Halloween-themed event designed for families with young children.
“We did this because, through visitor survey and audience feedback, we found that the need of attendees had really shifted over the past five years,” said Brittany Tepper, marketing director for Naper Settlement.
All Hallows Eve made its debut in 2004 as an event that catered to preteens and teens, she said. Over the years it became a Halloween tradition, transforming the 13-acre history museum campus into a Halloween-themed carnival filled with live action frights like Frankenstein’s laboratory, a Victorian insane asylum, a torture dungeon and Dracula’s lair as well as outdoor performances.
“In 2025, through our audience surveys, we found that over 73% of attendees were families with children 12 and under,” Tepper said.
Community feedback indicated that parents were looking for “something similar to All Hallows Eve, but with earlier hours, more live music and hands-on experiences designed specifically for younger visitors,” she said.
Attendance for All Hallows Eve had also declined over the years, which contributed to the museum creating a new event: Family Spooktacular.
Some elements from All Hallows Eve, such as face painting and laser tag, will remain, but overall attendees should expect a completely different event meant for families with children ages 3 to 12 when it’s held Oct. 24-25, Tepper said.
One of the main attractions will be performances by Disney tribute band The Little Mermen & The Princess Pals, a New York-based ensemble group that features Broadway-caliber performers who present songs from “Moana,” “Frozen,” “The Lion King” and more.
“They are the number one Disney tribute band,” Tepper said. “They perform like 100-years (worth) of Disney hits, and so it’ll be a really lively performance. … Having this kind of Broadway-caliber talent come to our community for a children’s event is new for us, and it’s something that we really hope the community will come and experience.”
The group will have present two one-hour performances on each day of the event — 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Oct. 24 and 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 25.
There will also be themed inflatables, including a fright-free haunted house filled with friendly ghouls, grinning ghosts and other spooky decor; trick-or-treating throughout the campus; and a “Ghoul School,” where children can learn how to make slime and the science behind it.
Food and seasonal snacks will be available for purchase, and parents and others 21 and older will be able to sip on craft beers and seasonal wines at the Spooky Spirits Bar.
Tickets to the new event are on sale now for $15 for adults, $10 for ages 4 to 12 and free for ages 3 and younger.
“We anticipate that some people might miss All Hallows Eve, but we also are always looking forward, looking to feedback, looking at ticketing data, looking at the feedback that we receive, and trying to provide something that the audience or that the community requests, and so this was something that the community definitely wanted,” Tepper said.
The end of All Hallows Eve does not affect the return of Howlin’ at the Moon, Naper Settlement’s Halloween party for adults 21 and older. This year it will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. Oct. 23-24.
cstein@chicagotribune.com
