Things To Do This Weekend October 23-25, 2026

By: Stephanie Stang 10/20/2026

As autumn crisps the air across Lake County, the region is leaning into the spirit of the season with a weekend packed with fall festivities, glowing Jack-o’-lanterns and haunting live theatre. Whether you are looking to stroll beneath the ambient glow of 1,000 hand-carved pumpkins, catch a live radio-style performance of a classic horror tale or bring the family out for candy and carnival games, local communities are offering no shortage of ways to celebrate.

Here are the top things to do this weekend October 23-25, 2026, in the land of lakes.

1. Grayslake Fall Fest

The Grayslake Park District hosts its inaugural Fall Fest this weekend. The free, all-ages event builds on the traditions of Pumpkin Fest while it expands into a full eight-hour seasonal celebration, featuring carnival rides, food trucks, live music, a costume contest, hayrides, face painting and more. The afternoon features Dan Neilson’s walking magic show, face painting and a historical hayride before a costume contest, character appearances and live performances including DJ Dave Woll, Libertyville School of Rock and Cheap Foreign Cars. The Grayslake Historical Society and Heritage Center will then take over the fire pit to tell stories. Fourteen food trucks cover every craving. Further details are available at GLPD.com.

Saturday, Oct. 24; 1 to 9 p.m. Free admission. Central Park, 250 Library Lane, Grayslake.

2. Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns at Chicago Botanic Garden

One thousand carved pumpkins, 75 weighing 150 pounds each, line a winding path through one of the region’s most beautiful garden settings after dark. Chicago Botanic Garden hosts Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns, with the immersive outdoor experience sending visitors along an eerily lit path through an eclectic collection of artist-carved pumpkins spanning Chicago sports tributes, plant monsters, famous vampires, comic book icons, native Illinois wildlife, Día de los Muertos imagery, 150 years of Cubs baseball history and more. New this year is a 20-foot glowing inflatable Monarch Skull by Highland Park artist Alyse Gamson — a sculpture inspired by the monarch butterfly and designed to prompt reflection on cycles of change. Tickets and times are available at ChicagoBotanic.org.

Friday-Sunday, Oct. 23-25; Start times - Fri.: 8:45 to 9:30 p.m., Sat.: 9 to 9:30 p.m. and Sun.: 8 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets start at $24. Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe.

3. “Dracula” at Improv Playhouse in Libertyville

Improv Playhouse presents “Dracula: A Live Radio Show,” a staged radio drama based on Orson Welles’s original radio adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic novel, brought to life through live performance, evocative lighting and realistic sound design. The story follows a band of courageous souls as they stand against Count Dracula. The Libertyville theater also stages a October 30 showing of this production. Tickets are available at ImprovPlayhouse.com.

Fri.-Sat., Oct. 23-24; 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $21.58 for general admission. Improv Playhouse, 735 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville.

4. Trick or Treat on Main Street in Wauconda

The downtown shops are ready. The pumpkins are carved. Wauconda’s Main Street is dressed for Halloween. Trick or Treat on Main Street is a free, family-friendly event that welcomes costumed kids and their families into downtown shops and restaurants for treats, games and specials, plus a pet costume parade, pumpkin carving contest, spooky tales and a balloon artist. Wauconda High School Drama Club students produce carnival games. More information is available at WaucondaParks.com.

Sunday, Oct. 25; 1 to 5 p.m. Free admission. Downtown Wauconda, 118 N. Main St., Wauconda.

5. Hawthorn Harvest Fest and Maker’s Market in Vernon Hills

Live music, a pumpkin patch, train rides, inflatables and an Oktoberfest beer tent from Yard House. Hawthorn’s inaugural Harvest Fest features family-friendly activities throughout the afternoon, along with vendors and food trucks. The celebrated Witchy Sisters make a special appearance, and a farmers and artisan market gives browsers something to take home. The event also serves as a collection point for the Share the Warmth coat drive. Learn more at Hawthorn.com.

Saturday, Oct. 24; 2 to 5 p.m. Free admission. Hawthorn Row, 750 Hawthorn Row, Vernon Hills.

For more things to do this weekend October 23-25, continue here.