October is one of my favorite months to be a mom!
Here are just a few reasons why (in chronological order, by date of first event at a given location):
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Where: Didier Farms (1 ongoing event)
When: September 24 to October 31
Time: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Cost: $12 for unlimited-rides wristband,
good from 9 to 1 weekdays, or pay by the ride
What: Pumpkinfest 2010
Admittedly this place is not even close to cheap, unless you jump on their deal: an unlimited-ride wristband on weekdays. But for the thrill-seeking, ride-loving, animal-obsessed toddlers out there, it's worth at least one visit a season, even if it puts a minor hole in your pocket. An example of just some of the things offered: a giant burlap-sack slide; a ton of mechanical rides like trains and flying monkeys; a fun house; a "haunted forest"; a huge corn maze (we got lost - and hot; bring water and your cell phone); a kiddie-sized hay maze; horse-drawn and tractor-drawn hayrides through rows of homemade hilarious scarecrows (think Twilight characters and Michael Jackson); teepees to play in; free crafts; tractors to play on; a huge refreshment area and fully-stocked country store; a reptile exhibit; a petting zoo (and the animals actually look well-cared for, hooray); pony rides; a pumpkin bouncy house; a farmstand with great pumpkins and gourds for sale; and a wagon-rental so you can tow your kids and your crap around for free during your visit. I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot more stuff...anyway, super fun and only about a twenty-minute drive from Evanston. Worth the splurge - we'll definitely be back this year with our old pal and vet extraordinaire, Dr. Tina Marcotte!
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Where: Morton Grove Farmer's Market (1 event)
When: Saturday, October 2
Time: 8 to noon
Cost: Free
What: Harvest Fest
A henna artist, a jumpy castle, balloon animals, face painting, and hayrides. And all this in addition to the awesome farmer's market, in case you need to get some shopping done on the side!
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Where: Your local Evanston fire station (1 event)
When: Saturday, October 2
Time: 1 to 4 p.m.
Cost: Free!
There are five Evanston firehouses: two on Central, one on Emerson (our fave), one on Madison and one on Washington. Come out and celebrate Fire Prevention Week at any of them! The firefighters are super cool about hanging with admiring kids; the trucks, ambulances, and all the cool equipment are on open display; and there's always tons of free snacks, stickers, fire hats and other fun stuff for the kids to take home. One of our favorite events of the year!
(New moms - and seasoned ones, too! - FYI that they are really awesome about checking your car seat installation on the spot too.)
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Where: Evanston Ecology Center (2 events)
When: Monday, October 4
Time: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $4
What: World Animal Day
An evening with the resident animals at the Ecology Center, including a meet-and-greet, a craft and animal songs. Recommended for children ages 3 and up.
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When: Saturday, October 23
Time: Begins at 4 p.m. and runs one hour.
(New sessions begin every 20 minutes thereafter until 6:20 p.m.)
Cost: $4.50
An annual tradition for us! Nature's costumed-characters lead a toddler-sized tour that starts inside, then moves around a small portion of the Ladd Arboretum, followed by snacks and kiddie games inside the Ecology Center. Tons of fun, but dress warmly! Register in advance to hod your spot at (847) 448-8256.
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Where: Wagner Farm (2 events)
When: Saturday, October 9
Time: 1 to 4 p.m.
Cost: depends on the size of the clothes you bring
What: Build Your Own Scarecrow
If you've never visited historic Wagner Farm in Glenview, just a short drive from Evanston, then these two fall events - the last of the season - are your perfect chance!Bring an old outfit to Build Your Own Scarecrow and the farm will provide a pumpkin head and the stuffing straw. Afterwards, walk around and check out the amazing farm, the adorable animals, and all the rocking interactive displays inside the big barn building. We've been here dozens of times in the past few years, and every visit has been a special treasure.
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When: Saturday, October 16
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: $3, children under 3 are free
What: Corn Harvest Festival
Corn picking, apple pressing, horse-drawn hayrides and of course, all the animals you can shake a stick at. The 4-H even makes an awesomely-eerie "haunted maze" in the barn's basement!
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Where: Emily Oaks Nature Center (2 events)
When: Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 16
Time: Friday night, starting at 6:30 p.m.
(New sessions begin every 15 minutes thereafter)
Saturday night, starting at 6 p.m.
(New sessions begin every 15 minutes thereafter)
Cost: $5, children under 2 are free
What: Things That Go Bump in the Night
Click here for a detailed blog review of this event, which Ayize and I throughly enjoy every October! Call 847-674-1500 X 2500 for reservations.
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When: Friday, October 22
Time: 7 to 8 p.m.
Cost: $4, children under 3 are free
A family night of folksy nature songs and s'mores around a campfire.
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Where: River Trails Nature Center (1 event)
When: Sunday, October 17
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: Free
What: 37th Annual Fall Fest
Unfortunately, I can only find a review from last year, so I can't verify that the activities listed (hay rides, crafts, puppet shows, birds of prey demos, fall color walks) are the same as this year. Still, this place is so great, that if you're planning on coming, I can guarantee you that - regardless of the quality of the festival - you will have a terrific time. Between the beautiful walking trails, the scenic beauty, the amazing interpretive center and all its fun kid activities, and the amazing animals outside, this place is a veritable treasure trove of toddler fun, fest or no fest!
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Where: Chicago Botanic Gardens (2 events)
When: Friday, October 22 through Sunday, October 24
Time: 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday
4 to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday
Cost: $16 ($14 for members), children under 2 are free
What: Hallowfest
The Chicago Botanic Gardens are free to enter, but parking will run you $20. Use your library card to "borrow" a free parking pass. Or for a fun dual adventure, take the Metra and one of the cheapo connecting Garden trolleys!
Hallowfest is not cheap, I know, but it is amazing. The model railroad garden runs "ghost trains" through the dark, there are magic shows and other themed entertainment, everyone is in costume, free snacks abound (last year we warmed up with complimentary Kim & Scott's pretzels, yum!), and Ayize and I highly recommend you take a ride on the Eerie Express, a wacky and wild tram ride through the dark, if you dare!
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When: Saturday October 30, and Sunday, October 31
Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost:
$5 ($4 for CBG members), $3 for ages 3 - 12 ($2 for CBG members),
and children under 3 are free
An annual trick-or-treat party that commemorates the closing of the model railroad garden for the season. Spooky decor and small treats and treasures throughout.
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Where: Wilmette Public Library (1 event)
Not-too-spooky tales and a special craft. Recommended for kids ages 3 and older.
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Where: Robert Crown Community Center (2 events)
When: Friday, October 29
Time: 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Cost: Free
Games, face painting, balloons, snacks and treats!
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When: Sunday, October 31
Time: 2 to 4 p.m.
Cost: Free
What: Halloween Skate
Annual Halloween skating party held on the main rink. Free ice time and free skate rental, so long as you come costumed!* * * * *
Where: Women's Club of Evanston (1 event)
When: Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30
Time: 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday
Cost: $5
What: Fairy Tale Trail
This is basically a fantasy-filled labyrinth for young 'uns. You can make music Jungle Book style in one area, magic in another a la Harry Potter, or build towering structures in a third, just like Bob the Builder (hard hats included). And those were just three of last year's ten, creatively-decorated, awesome play areas. We always finish our outing with a trip upstairs to the Pumpkin Patch Cafe, for snacks and warm cider. FYI that free Dracula rubber duckies are also distributed at the conclusion of your visit. Woo hoo!
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Where: Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center (1 event)
When: Friday, October 29
Time: 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
What: HallaDaze
Annual children's party featuring a magic show, spooky clowns, balloon animals, face painting, and refreshments.
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Where: Skatium Ice Arena (1 event)
When: Friday, October 29
Time: 6 to 9 p.m.
Cost: Free
Penny carnival (games are a quarter to play), hay rides (fifty cents), ice skating ($5), free storytelling, and costume contests at Skokie's Skatium. Call 847-674-1500 X 2900 for skate rental info.
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Where: Oakton Community Center (1 event)
When: Saturday, October 30
Time: 10 a.m. to noon
Cost: $2 - 8
What: Ex-Scare-Itorium
A kid-friendly Halloween party and costume parade held at the awesome Oakton Community Center's Exploritorium! $2 - 8 dollars, there is no explanation of the breakdown online. I am guessing the cheapest end is for adult Skokie residents and the more expensive end is for non-resident children? FYI that most Skokie events are free for children under 2.
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Where: Evanston Public Library - South Branch (2 events)
When: TBA
Time: TBA
Cost: Free
What: Thomas the Tank Night
We enjoy the heck out of this event (can you guess why??). Listen to train stories, color train pictures, and play with lots of trains and track supplied by the library. The librarians even make a train-themed snack! I'll add the link as it becomes available, but it should be found here, so just keep checking for now. I'm guessing - if tradition holds - that it will take place on the first Tuesday in October from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
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When: TBA
Time: TBA
Cost: Free
What: Halloween Costume Party
Come costumed to listen to slightly-scary stories and make and eat Oreo-cookie spiders! I'll add the link as it becomes available, but it should be found here, so just keep checking for now. I'm guessing - if tradition holds - that it will take place on the Thursday, October 28 from 6 to 7:15 p.m.
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Where: Evanston Public Library - North Branch (1 event)
When: TBA
Time: TBA
Cost: Free
What: Boo Bash
The North Branch holds a free Halloween party every year that's perfectly suited for the wee ones, called the Boo Bash. They offer fun games, crafts, music, and delicious treats. I'll add the link as it becomes available, but it should be found here, so just keep checking for now. I'm guessing - if tradition holds - that it will take place on Saturday, October 30 from 2 to 4 p.m.
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When: Saturdays and Sundays in October
Time: 7 to 10 p.m.
Cost: $8
What:
Okay, this one's for the adults ONLY! Supposed to be a pretty top-notch haunted house, and super close, in Skokie! I've yet to go, but maybe this year...
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Sorry, guys! Three late-breaking addendums, in chronological order:
Where:
When: Saturday, October 16
Time: 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
We've enjoyed the many fun activities hosted here, near the intersection of Dempster and Waukegan, and I'm sure this last hurrah for the market will be no different. The contest and story hour are sponsored by the Morton Grove Public Library, on Lincoln Avenue, near Oakton - a recent discovery for us, and a wonderful cold-weather haven we're looking forward to utilizing this winter.
Included below are a few photos of the children's section at the library, which occupies the entire basement. Sorry for this unrelated sidestep, but the place is too cool to go without mention, since we're on the topic anyway. Here's the link to their Youth Services Calendar - t
hey have a bunch of drop-in storytimes and playgroups there, as well! And here are some photos of their unbeatable train table (they have literally around 100 Thomas trains - I was in awe), Duplo wagons, story circle, kiddie computers, board puzzles, plastic animals, wooden dollhouse, outdoor seating, and Lego trucks:
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Where:
When: Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25
Time: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Free
What:
Westfield Old Orchard Shopping Mall will be hosting their second annual WFamily Harvest Festival.
Last year, a
pre-festival Old Fashioned Carnival ran Thursday through Sunday of the same weekend in one large section of parking lot, but I can't figure out whether the same will be offered - apologies! If you're into that kind of thing, though, keep your eyes peeled. It was a good one.
The Harvest Festival runs Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. The festival is free, and extremely awesome; last year, we enjoyed a corn maze, a pumpkin patch, a crafts tent with Kohl's, Skokie Public Library and Gymboree activities, a giant inflatable pumpkin bounce, face painting, balloon animals, and live music. It was a blast - I'm sure this year's will be, too!
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Where:
When: Friday, October 29
Time: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Cost: Free/members, $5/non-members
What:
My Gym, on Gross Point Road in Skokie, hosts an annual Halloween party the Friday before Halloween. You can drop in at any point during the three hours. You're supposed to limit your stay to 45 minutes at all of their drop-in parties, but I've never attended one where we didn't stay for waaaay longer, because the staff is super flexible as long as it's not crowded (which it's never been). I think we stayed 2-plus hours at an Elmo party last winter, and nobody bugged us in the least.
All of their parties feature activities, like stories and circle games, but for the most part, it's just an opportunity for wild childs to zing around, play on the gym equipment, swim through the ball pit, climb the big structures, and kill some excess energy by bouncing off the walls - and the trampolines! The party is free for members and $5 for non-members. Although we enjoy, My Gym parties, we actually prefer Gymboree for actual classes, so we're not members here. Still - if the weather is cruddy that night and I have a wild man on my hands, we'll probably just splurge and end up here in lieu of the other, outdoor, Halloween parties happening that night in Skokie and Evanston!
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And that's (really) all, now folks! Pardon the addendums!
And have a hauntastic Halloween!
BEST POST EVER. I realize it's November and I just read this, but I am book marking this for next year. NOw I am hoping you have a page like this for November.
ReplyDeleteBritt! I am just now seeing this! I'm giggling reading this because this time last year, little Henry wasn't even on the horizon...but hopefully, it came in useful this year anyway! (Or maybe next...LOL)
ReplyDelete;-)