Top 10 Things To Do in October 2018
By: Jonathan Jones 10/01/2018
So long summer. As much as we love the summer, Lake County lives and breathes the fall.
When October shows up, the spooks and spirits take over in Lake County. Continue here to learn more.
From pumpkin patches to family-friendly festivals, to Chicago Bears Football to Fright Fest, to Halloween and haunted houses, Lake County has what you’re looking for in October.
Here are your top 10 things to do in October.
There is an abundance of courageous souls out there that want to brave the storm of a professional scarer. That said, Lake County holds a Master’s Degree in terrifying individuals. Here are a few of the spooks in Lake County
Farm Fun in Lake County
Old Lake County had a farm, E-I-E-I-O. And on these farms he had, scenic shots, pumpkins patches, hayrides, ziplines, corn mazes, apple picking, petting zoos and a ton of other family fun events...E-I-E-I-O. Visit one of these farms before the season is over.
This festival has pumpkins stacked to the sky. Get into the spirit with your friend Jack while holding a lantern and journey to Highwood for the Great Pumpkin Festival. Once again, the festival will be jam-packed with daily events, a variety of food and drink vendors, a carnival, live tunes, hay rides, pony rides, pumpkin carving, massive pumpkin displays, nightly pumpkin lightings, a parade, Superhero 5K/10K and so much more. Live performances include Mr. Blotto, Kevin Purcell and the Nightburners, 7th Heaven, Saturday June Band and many more.
Brew, wine and cocktail aficionados, must get their spooks & spirits on this fall. Post spook session, grab a drink to calm your nerves. There is plenty going on with our Lake County Libation Trail friends in the month of October. Here are some of the festivities this month.
Six Flags Great America’s Fright Fest presented by SNICKERS® has returned. Crypts, ghouls, zombies and everything else Halloween takes over the Gurnee amusement park on select days from now through October 31. The transformation of Six Flags Great America features plenty of exciting thrills and chills including scare zones, live entertainment, haunted attractions and of course the coasters and rides that we love the all-year round.
Feeling ghoulish? Searching for the scare of a lifetime? Bring the family out to Ryerson Conservation Area as they've made it a tradition to host 1.5-mile Halloween Hike on a candlelit trail. After the spook walk, fill your belly with delicious cider and donuts in front of a campfire in the log cabin. The Halloween Hikes are one-hour long and begin every 30 minutes from 6-9:30 p.m.
Every third Saturday of the year, you get a touch of culture with the different mediums you see from ArtWauk. However, downtown Waukegan is transformed into Halloween town as ArtWauk runs alongside their Annual ZombieWauk. The event will feature live entertainment, suds and eats vendors, face painters and flesh-eating abominations clutter the streets as they attempt to hunt you down. Beware of the walking dead.
CROCtoberfest at the Wildlife Discovery Center is a fun-filled event for all ages in a safe environment to meet live crocodiles. Lizard experts of the Chicago Herpetological Society will provide a few presentations about crocodiles and relatives. The event features a skull of a 24-foot saltwater crocodile (the largest living terrestrial predator) and a collection of reptilian residents of the Lake Forest center. The croc fest is also highlighted by face painting, storytelling and other kiddie activities.
Are you "Uptight?" because everything is alright. For 63 years, William Robinson (a.k.a Smokey) has written, sung and produced renowned contributions to popular music. The Motown vice president has scored a plethora of top 10 hits as a solo artist and as the lead singer of the Miracles. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and was awarded the 2016 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for his lifetime of achievements in the music industry. Robinson tallied three Grammy Awards in his solo career and four as a member of the Miracles. It’s set to be a memorable evening as the sound of Robinson’s falsetto resounds through the Genesee Theatre speakers.
Before you and the kids terrorize the streets for some Halloween trick-or-treating, the man from Berrrrrrwyyyyyn will be at Voooolooo Auto Museum. Dodge rubber chickens as you participate in a meet and greet with Svengoolie. Take a photo, get an autograph and gaze upon all of the fantastic cars featured in movies, TV and more. Also, take a free trip on the haunted train ride.
Honorable Mention
All of the favorites, Shrek the Ogre, Fiona, Donkey and a host of other storybook characters grace the stage. The story follows a crotchety green ogre who only wants to live in solitude and away from his neighbors like the three little pigs, three blind mice, the gingerbread man and a slew of other characters that continuously wander onto his property. The king recruits Shrek to save the princess (from a Rapunzel-like tower) from a fire-breathing dragon and bring her to safety so she can be royally wed. Follow Shrek and Donkey on their hi-jinks journey to deliver Fiona to the castle in this fun-filled all-ages show.
If you are looking for other top things to do in October, read more.
