The Best Fall Festivals for Kids in Chicago 2025

September Fairs and Festivals in Chicago for Kids

African Festival of the Arts
Washington Park
Saturday, August 30-Monday, September 21
Washington Park hosts the annual African Festival of the Arts, featuring vibrant drumming, museum quality and collectible artifacts, colorful and rich handwoven fabric and textile, family friendly activities, music, and food. Visit the website here.

Glendale Heights Oktoberfest
Glendale Heights
Thursday, September 11-Sunday, September 21
Families can enjoy German foods and music under a spacious tent in Camera Park for a full 10 days at this Glendale Heights Festival. Strolling Oompah bands and souvenirs like German hats and steins will complete the fun. Visit the website here.

Norwood Park Fall Fest
Norwood Park
Friday, September 12- Saturday, September 13
Celebrate fall with live entertainment, food and drink vendors, and kids' activities for all ages. Kids can enjoy carnival games, a magic show, tattoos and henna, an inflatable corn maze and kids' music and dance performances. Visit the website here.

Midnight Circus in the Parks
Various Chicago Parks
September 12-14, September 20-21 and September 26-28
This small, family-run circus is as sweet as they come, bringing the circus to parks all over Chicago for a small, intimate performance! Families can grab a blanket and get cozy in their favorite park to see talented aerialists, gymnasts, tight rope walkers, clowns, and even a dog put on an energetic and awe-inspiring performance. Visit the website here.

Ravenswood ArtWalk: 22nd Annual Tour of Arts & Industry
Ravenswood - FREE
Saturday, September 13- Sunday, September 14
The ultimate end-of-summer festival returns to Chicago’s northside with the 23rd Annual Ravenswood Artwalk on Saturday, September 13th and Sunday, September 14th. The Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce (GRCC) partners with the historic Ravenswood Industrial Corridor for a weekend that showcases the bustling hub of artisans, manufacturers, and brewers. Visit the website here.

Lakeview East Festival of the Arts
Lakeview - FREE
Saturday, September 13- Sunday, September 14
Lakeview East Festival of the Arts offers over 150 artists, featuring paintings, sculptures, photography furniture, jewelry, and more. In addition to live music on two stages, the festival includes live demonstrations, family activities and a garden oasis. Visit the website here.

Spring Road Fall Fest
Elmhurst
Saturday, September 20
Families can enjoy fall-themed entertainment at the intersection of Spring Road and the Prairie Path in Elmhurst. Activities include a petting zoo, pony rides, a moon jump, temporary tattoos, carnival games, and musical entertainment. Kids can also paint pumpkins and enjoy concessions. Visit the website here.

Jack's Pumpkin Pop-Up
Goose Island
September 20-November 2
Jack's is one of Chicago's largest fall themed festivals. With 10,000 pumpkins, fortune tellers, a corn maze with a secret bar, gem mining, photo opportunities, carnival games, and food trucks, Jack's provides to unique experience for each guest that comes through the doors. It is also kid friendly! Visit the website here.

Oaktoberfest
Oak Park- FREE
Friday, September 26- Saturday, September 27
Oak Park celebrates the changing seasons at Oaktoberfest with music, food from local restaurants, specialty craft beers, and a kids' root beer garden open from noon to 5pm on Saturday, September 27. The pint-sized fun includes zucchini races, a ninja obstacle court, root beer floats, crafts, and other activities sponsored by local businesses. Visit the website here.

Long Grove Apple Fest
Long Grove
Friday, September 26- Sunday, September 28
How do you like them apples? Long Grove will make them any way you want—baked in pies, dipped in chocolate or caramel, or chopped up in sangria. Families can also enjoy a carnival and live music with their apple treats. Visit the website here.

World Music Festival
Citywide - FREE
Friday, September 26- Sunday, October 5
World music fans can enjoy FREE concerts throughout the City of Chicago during the 23rd Annual World Music Festival. This city-wide, multi-venue, 10-day festival will include 34 bands representing 22 countries. Experience music from all regions of the world including Brazil, South Korea, and Senegal. Visit the website here.

St. Alphonsus Oktoberfest
Lakeview
Friday, September 26-Sunday, September 28
Bring your lederhosen and dirndls for some German family fun. Enjoy some bratwurst, some live music, and all things Bavarian, as well as music from favorite Chicago acts. Visit the website here.

Fall Fest - Lincoln Park Zoo
Lincoln Park
September 26-October 26
Fall Fest offers a pumpkin patch, hay mountain, professional pumpkin carvers, Ferris wheel and more throughout Lincoln Park Zoo. Visit the website here.

Beverly Art Walk
Beverly - FREE
Saturday, September 27
The Beverly Art Walk is a free art festival celebrating work from over 150 juried artists, as well as live music, food, and hands-on activities for art lovers of all ages. Guests can embark on self-guided tours through over 100 participating venues. Visit the website here.

Celebración de los Árboles
Lisle
Saturday, September 27- Sunday, September 28
This fun-filled festival at The Morton Arboretum will immerse guests in celebrating the diverse cultures of Latin America. Sample foods from different Latin America countries, listen to music, and learn traditional dances at this family friendly outdoor event. Visit the website here.

Hyde Park Jazz Festival
Hyde Park - FREE
Saturday, September 27- Sunday, September 28
Music fans of all ages can enjoy free performances by world class jazz musicians at Hyde Park Jazz Festival, as well as local food vendors and a free shuttle between concert locations! Visit the website here.

Cantigny Fall Fest
Wheaton Saturday, September 27-Sunday, September 28
Celebrate the season with us at Cantigny’s Annual Fall Festival on September 27 & 28! This family-friendly weekend features a vibrant Fall Market, live music, guided garden tours, and a variety of food trucks offering tasty bites. Kids can enjoy hands-on crafts, bounce houses, and a delightful petting zoo, creating memories for all ages. Visit the website here.

Brookfield Zoo Chicago Oktoberfest
Brookfield
Sunday, September 28
Put on your lederhosen or dirndl and enjoy some polka music at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. Bands will be playing throughout the day on the East Mall, or families can catch mobile music from the PolkaPedi. German foods will be available for purchase throughout the zoo. This year, the Zoo is planning a special ticketed tailgate event with details to come. Check back here. Visit the website here.

October Fairs and Festivals in Chicago for Kids

St. Benedict's Oktoberfest
North Center
Friday, October 3- Sunday, October 5
St. Ben's Parish Oktoberfest includes live entertainment, traditional German food, a carnival, and games. Proceeds will benefit local outreach programs and church operations. Visit the website here.

Lincoln Square Ravenswood Apple Fest
Lincoln Square
Friday, October 3- Sunday, October 5
The 37th annual Lincoln Square Ravenswood Apple Fest offers activities for apple lovers of all ages. Food vendors and farm vendors will be on hand for families to buy fall-themed foods! Kids can enjoy apple themed activities like an apple sensory bin and an apple slime kit, as well as activities from Wiggleworms, musicians, jugglers, sing-a-longs, and so much more! Visit the website here.

Naper Settlement Oktoberfest
Naperville
Friday, October 3- Saturday, October 4
Naperville Heritage Society celebrates October with its signature beer tent full of local Oktoberfest brews for the grown-ups, plus plenty of kids activities for the little ones. Live polka and rock music take center stage while families can also participate in themed contests. Live pumpkin carving and a stein holding competition round out the fun. Visit the website here.

The Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival
Highwood - FREE
Friday, October 3-Sunday, October 5
Visit Highwood for all the pumpkin-based fun you could wish for. This three-day festival includes all-you-can-carve pumpkin stations, a carnival, live entertainment, a 5k, craft and food vendors, and pet and kid costume contests. Visit the website here.

Caldwell Woods Pumpkin Palooza
Edgebrook- FREE
Saturday, October 4
Families can enjoy nature's contributions to Halloween by painting pumpkins, playing gourd ring toss, making leaf rubbings, and running through a fall-themed obstacle course. Visit the website here.

Elmhurst Family Fall Fest
Elmhurst - FREE
Saturday, October 4
Safety Town trick-or-treating, an inflatable corn maze obstacle course, and fall games are on hand for families at Wild Meadows Trace in Elmhurst. Families can stay for lunch to visit food trucks including Brown's Chicken, Nick's Woodfire Pizza Truck, Tacos El Amigazo, D's Treats and Ice Cream, and Smallcakes. Kids can also enjoy face painting and a balloon artist. Visit the website here.

Lombard Fall Fest
Lombard - FREE
Saturday, October 4
Kids can kick off the Halloween season at Lombard's annual fall event. Kids can enjoy games, dancing, face painting, and a candy hunt. The Lombard Community Building will host Boo Bingo from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. Visit the website here.

Brookfield Zoo Chicago Boo at the Zoo
Brookfield
October 4- 31
Kids can trick or treat with the animals at Brookfield Zoo at this not-so-scary event during the three weeks leading up to Halloween. Other weekend 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. Visit the website here.

Night of 1,000 Jack-o'- Lanterns
Glencoe
October 8-12, 15-19 and 22-26
Don't be a scaredy cat, these hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns are a real treat. Explore the Chicago Botanical Gardens for a spook-tacular adventure with more than 1,000 hand-carved jack-o-lanterns to light the way. This event tends to sell out. Visit the website here.

St. Charles Scarecrow Festival
St. Charles - FREE
Friday, October 10-Sunday, October 12
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. Visit the website here.

Harvest Pow Wow
Wheaton
Saturday, October 11- Sunday, October 12
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. Visit the website here.

Columbus Day Parade
Chicago Loop - FREE
Monday, October 13
Chicagoans of all ages can enjoy watching 150 groups, including bands, floats, and marchers, march down State Street for the 73rd annual Columbus Day Parade. Visit the website here.

Arts in the Dark
Downtown - FREE
Saturday, October 18
Arts in the Dark is an evening parade that celebrates Halloween as the "artist's holiday," bringing together Chicago institutions and organizations dedicated to art and education. Audience members will be delighted by unique floats, spectacle puppets, and creative performances set against the backdrop of Chicago’s majestic skyline. Visit the website here.

Hinsdale Fall Family Fest
Hinsdale - FREE
Saturday, October 18
West suburban families can visit Burlington 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. Visit the website here.

Open House Chicago
Citywide - FREE
Saturday, October 18- Sunday, October 19
The Chicago Architecture Center hosts Open House Chicago, a free public festival that offers behind-the-scenes access to more than 20 buildings throughout Chicago. Guests can enjoy access to Chicago's architectural gems, including skyscrapers, repurposed mansions, opulent theaters, exclusive private clubs, private offices, and breathtaking sacred spaces. Visit the website here.

Fall Paddle Festival
Winnetka - FREE
Saturday, October 25
Enjoy some fall time out on the water with a canoe trip. Families can also learn about archery, take a guided hike, paint pumpkins, and play in nature. Visit the website here.

BOOmingdale Halloween Party
Bloomingdale - FREE
Saturday, October 18
Fall festivities abound at this event sponsored by the Bloomingdale Park District, Village of Bloomingdale, Bloomingdale Public Library, and Friends of the Bloomingdale Public Library. The Police and Fire Department will offer Halloween-themed building tours and trunk or treat while the library will host a hay maze, moon jump, balloon artist, face painter, and refreshments. Visit the website here.

Spooky Zoo
Lincoln Park
Saturday, October 18
Kids can trick-or-treat for sustainably sourced candy at Lincoln Park Zoo from 10am until the candy runs out. Kids can enjoy free carousel rides, spooky chats and learning activities, and fall rides and attractions to keep the party going. Visit the website here.

Wicker Park Boo-palooza and Bark-palooza
Wicker Park
Saturday, October 18
Families can help raise money for the Wicker Park "Gardens We Design" at this family-friendly Halloween event featuring kids' musicians, a costume parade, and a pumpkin patch and decorating area. Play games including pin-the-tail on various popular cartoons, find the "needle" in the haystack, or work your way through a straw maze. Visit the website here.

Lincoln Park Spooktacular 2025
Lincoln Park- FREE
Saturday, October 25- Sunday, October 26
Trick-or-treat at select businesses along Lincoln Avenue between Wrightwood and Webster on Saturday or Clark Street on Sunday for the week before Halloween. Magicians, stilt walkers, and jugglers will meet and greet trick or treaters along the way. Visit the website here.

Batfest
Batavia - FREE
Saturday, October 25
Visit downtown Batavia to enjoy bat-themed fun including trick or treating, a parade, pumpkin bowl, bat art, stories, games and more. Kids can see a show of live bats, see dance performances, and listen to live music. Visit the website here.

Pumpkin Palooza
Naperville
Saturday, October 25
Kids can celebrate the season by coming in costume to the DuPage Children's Museum for STEAM-themed, non-scary activities. Build your own Franken buddy from recycled toys, create wearable art, brew your own slime, and mix and mash pumpkin guts! Visit the website here.

Slightly Spooky Saturday: Family Halloween
Navy Pier
Saturday, October 25
Halloween takes over Navy Pier! Families can enjoy circus acts, mad scientist demos, axe throwing, a costume contest, face-painting demos, and more at shops and restaurants around the Pier. Visit the website here.

Lemonster Days Trick-or-Treating Downtown Lemont
Lemont- FREE
Saturday, October 25
The Village of Lemont hosts its annual Halloween costume contest, parade and downtown trick-or-treating. Visit the website here.

Lincoln Scared and Ravenswoooooood
Lincoln Square and Ravenswood- FREE
Sunday, October 26
Lincoln Square and Ravenswood transform into Lincoln Scared and Ravenswooooooood for early trick-or-treating. Businesses hand out candy and other treats, and a pumpkin decorating station sets up on Damen Avenue. Visit the website here.

Naperville Halloween Happening
Naperville - FREE
Sunday, October 26
Visit the Naperville Riverwalk's Grand Pavilion for Halloween games, activities and treats. Hayrides and a pumpkin patch add to the fall fun. This free event is intended for kids 10 and under. Visit the website here.

Westmont Halloween Fun Fair
Westmont - FREE
Thursday, October 30
The whole family is invited to a safe and fun-filled evening as you trick or treat at the Community Center with us! Beware of trickery and silly fun when you meet Patrick, the spirited magician. Create a spooky craft and try your luck at a game or two along the way. Take a fun photo with your friends and family. There will be plenty of treats and activities to make your evening fangtastic! Visit the website here.

Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade
Lakeview - FREE
Friday, October 31
North Halsted Street in Boystown celebrates Halloween unlike any other neighborhood in Chicago. Parade entries may include LED robots, the Lakeside Marching Band, and Chicago Full Moon Jam fire performers. A costume contest awards cash prizes to contestants in seven different categories, including a category for youth. Visit the website here.

November Fairs and Festivals in Chicago for Kids

Lightscape at Chicago Botanic Garden
Glencoe
Opens November 14
Go for a stroll down a mile-long path filled with holiday wonder at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Visit the website here.

Illumination: Tree Lights at the Morton Arboretum
Lisle
Opens November 15
Visitors walk a one-mile path with thousands of lights in displays illuminating the trees, accompanied by music. An awe-inspiring display illuminates the new Grand Garden. Visitors can enjoy some old favorites and new displays. New this year—Illumination features four colorful animal sculptures from The Morton Arboretum’s newest exhibition Vivid Creatures, by artists Heather BeGaetz and Fez BeGaetz. See these colorful sculptures lit up for the holidays and transformed for the Illumination experience. Stop along the way to roast s'mores around a campfire or drink a hot beverage. Visit the website here.

Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza
Downtown - FREE
Opens November 21
The 25th annual Christkindlmarket features holiday themed drinks, snacks, shopping, and games outside the Daley Center. Visit the website here.

Christkindlmarket Aurora
Aurora - FREE
Opens November 21
The annual Christkindlmarket features a variety of German and European vendors selling holiday decor, gifts and treats. Throughout the market, families can also experience live performances from European artists. Visit the website here.

Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Brookfield
Opens November 21
Featuring more than a million LED lights, a 41-foot talking Christmas tree, and a 600-foot tunnel of lights with coordinating music, Brookfield Zoo's Holiday Magic highlights the holidays and loads of animals. Visit the website here.

Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
Magnificent Mile - FREE
November 22
Chicago's Magnificent Mile hosts the annual Lights Festival with a parade of lights with Grand Marshalls Minnie and Mickey Mouse. The event includes booths full of family-friendly activities, including pictures with Santa. Visit the website here.

Chicago Thanksgiving Parade
Downtown - FREE
Thursday, November 27
Chicago's Thanksgiving Parade will have the theme of "Where Grateful Hearts Gather." Families can watch as floats, bands, and dignitaries travel along State Street from Ida B. Wells Drive to Randolph Street. Visit the website here.

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