(Courtesy of Celebrate Highwood)
1. Be spooky
The season is in full swing at The Great Highwood Pumpkin & Skeleton Invasion Festival, where you can carve pumpkins, participate in costume contests, snap selfies with skeleton displays, enjoy live music and go for a haunted hayride. Already carved a pumpkin? Add your creation to one of the fest’s three pumpkin walls, which will be lit each night.
Details: 4-11 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday at Everts Park, 111 North Ave. Highwood. Free / MAP
Find more fests: 2021 Festival Guide
2. Appreciate
One of the largest gatherings of American Indians in the Midwest, the 68th annual Chicago Powwow spotlights their culture, art and heritage. Activities include intertribal dancing, bird singers, smoke dancers, gourd dance sessions, an art marketplace and Navajo basket dance. Event is held rain or shine.
Details: 5-8:30 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday at Schiller Woods, W. Irving Park Road near Cumberland Ave. $15; $10 for seniors and kids 12 and under / MAP
3. Cheer
Thousands of runners wind their way through city neighborhoods as they participate in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Note: Participants must provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of attending. If you’re not one of the runners, stake out a spot along the 26.2-mile route to cheer them on. While you won’t be able to access the race start and finish areas – those are reserved for participants only – you can line up at a designated cheer zone near the finish line at Michigan Avenue and Roosevelt Road.
Details: Wave 1 runners begin at 7:30 a.m. Sunday at Grant Park, 307 E. Randolph St. Free / MAP
4. Build
If you lost someone or something special over the past year, you can honor them by building an altar at the Ofrenda Workshop. Your creation will be included in a community ofrenda and presented at a Dia de los Muertos celebration on Oct. 23. You can pick up your piece after the event.
Details: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday at Guild Row, 3130 N. Rockwell St. Free, reservations required / MAP
5. Swirl
A dozen varietals of vino will be available for sampling at the Lincoln Park Wine Fest, while you enjoy live music.
Details: Sessions available 5-10 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday at Jonquil Park, 1001 W. Wrightwood Ave. $40 / MAP
(Courtesy of Special Events Management)
6. Bend
Sunday gets off on the right hoof with Four Lakes Goat Yoga, where resident kid Wally will join you. After class, grab a selfie with Wally during a meet and greet session.
Details: 11 a.m. Sunday at Four Lakes, 5750 Lakeside Drive, Lisle. $20 / MAP
7. Visit
On the Historic Pullman House Tour, you can step inside some of the neighborhood’s landmark houses to see how owners have restored and renovated them. Exhibits, music, food, and antique cars (Sunday) are also on tap.
Details: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Historic Pullman Exhibit Hall, 11141 S. Cottage Grove $17-$20 / MAP
8. Come together
Wellness programming, cooking demonstrations, music and family activities are all part of El Paseo Community Garden’s annual Harvest Festival. While you’re there, check out a pair of installations on display as part of the Chicago Architecture Biennial.
Details: 2-8 p.m. Saturday at El Paseo Community Garden, 944 W. 21st St. Free / MAP
9. Flaunt
Designers from across the country showcase their threads on the runway at Chicago Fashion Week. Specialty shows include one with products solely created from eco-friendly and sustainable materials and another in partnership with Howard Brown Health featuring trans and gender non-conforming models.
Note: Masks and a COVID-19 vaccination card are required to attend.
Details: Noon-3 p.m. Sunday; 6-9 p.m. Tuesday through Oct. 15; noon- 3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Oct. 16; noon-8 p.m. Oct. 17 at Water Tower Place, 835 N. Michigan Ave. $25 / MAP
10. Treasure
In celebration of the Indian holiday of Diwali, the Mandala South Asian Performing Arts presents “The Story of Ram.” Mandala’s interpretation of the ancient epic “Ramayana,” weaves together Indian, Indonesian, Thai and other cultures.
Details: Performances at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday at Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St. Naperville. $25-$100 / MAP
(Photo by Tom Rossiter)
Events listed are subject to change. We recommend double-checking times and locations before you head out the door. Want to share your upcoming events with us for consideration in a future roundup? Send us an email.
