Now that the sweltering heat looks like it’s gone for good, we can comfortably enter ~fall mode~ aka every basic girl’s favorite time of the year. From the pumpkin spice lattes to the oversized sweaters, what’s not to love about fall? Luckily, we live a train ride away from tons of fun fall and Halloween-themed events to help you get over your end-of-summer blues ASAP.
On Fridays – Sundays Sept. 29 – Oct. 29, the Lincoln Park Zoo is hosting its third annual Fall Fest. Take a cutie you’ve been eyeing for a romantic ferris wheel ride or try and escape the corn maze with your besties. Don’t forget to stop by the pumpkin patch to buy the perfect fall dorm room decoration and to snap a #fallgoals Insta pic.
Every Friday and Saturday, plus the last two Sundays in October, the Skokie Water Playground transforms into a highly-acclaimed haunted house. For $12, you can scream your way through the chainsaw maniac and clown maze rooms. Only a CTA ride away, this is the perfect weekend trip for those who are ready to get into the Halloween spirit.
Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade
On Oct. 21 from 6-8 p.m. in downtown Chicago, performers, floats and puppets from the Art Institute of Chicago, School of the Art Institute, Broadway in Chicago and After School Matters will travel from Balbo Avenue to Monroe Street. Don’t forget to stop by nearby Latinicity or another South Loop restaurant for a dinner before the parade!
Navy Pier is hosting free movie screenings of some Halloween classics like Beetlejuice, Monster House, Ghostbusters and Monsters, Inc. on Oct. 21 and 28. Pack a picnic dinner with your friends and camp out at Polk Bros Park for these showings. If you stay at the Pier until 9:30 on Oct. 28, you can also watch a ~spooktacular~ Halloween fireworks show over Lake Michigan!
When you inevitably start craving apple and pumpkin as the fall weather always seems to make us do, take the ‘L’ down to Stan’s Donuts to satisfy your sweet tooth! Seasonal fall menu favorites include the Apple Chai-der tea, Pumpkin Pie Mocha and my personal fave, the Apple Cider Cake donut. Especially with the temperature outside no longer a scorching 90 degrees, I have never felt more ready for fall.