10 Favorite Fall Experiences in the Chicago Suburbs

10 Favorite Fall Experiences in the Chicago Suburbs in 2019

Time to get all of those fall feels! I am excited about scarecrows, pumpkins, bonfires, corn mazes, fall colors and more fall fun to come! Here are my favorite 10 fall festivals to have on your list. 


Richardson Corn Maze -- We are so lucky to be able to experience the World's Largest Corn Maze here in the Chicago area! Richardson's maze is incredible and features a different theme each year. This year's celebrates Apollo 11. Be prepared for much more fun on the farm including farm animals, a zip line, giant slides, pumpkin picking, campfires and more. This year's maze is open September 7-November 3.

Shades of Autumn Festival --  For nearly two months each year, Shades of Autumn Festival at Stade's in McHenry features a plethora of fun fall activities including picking pumpkins, a pumpkin cannon, a corn maze, duck races, a hay bale climb, zip lines, slide mountain and much more. This year's festival runs September 7-October 27.

Party for the Preserves Deer Grove --  Party for the Preserves features a day of celebrating our local preserves with nature experiences and other fun in nature. Hikes, s'mores, storytelling, water coloring, archery, astronomy, native plant sales and more really pack the day! This year's event is on September 28.

Lynfred Oktoberfest and Grape Stomp -- Oktoberfest at Lynfred Winery in Roselle is a festive time featuring grape stomping, grape spitting, German food, great wine, kids activities and lederhosen! This year's event is September 28-29. Check the website for more details.

Autumn Harvest Festival at Volkening Heritage Farm -- Time for a little fun on the farm! Volkening Heritage Farm's Autumn Harvest Festival uses hands-on demonstrations to help you experience fall activities on the farm including cider pressing, planting and more. Enjoy 19th century games, live music and fall foods as well. This year's festival is October 5 & 6.

Glass Pumpkin Patch at Morton Arboretum -- The Glass Pumpkin Patch is a fun opportunity to view 1,000s of handblown glass pumpkins. They are pretty spectacular and unique! Every time I visit the festival, I am so caught up in the beauty of the pumpkins. The festival also includes glass blowing demos which are always fun. Admission is included with normal Morton Arboretum admission. This year's festival is October 9-13. Be sure to check the website for details and times for the sale and demos.

The Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival -- If you are ready to be surrounded by pumpkins, The Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival is the place to be! During the festive, the community gets together to carve pumpkins and there are truly as many as the eye can see! The event also includes a walk/run, a costume contest, live music, a petting zoo and much more. This is one of my favorites of the year! This year's festival runs October 11-13


Scarecrow Fest -- Scarecrow Fest has been celebrating the harvest in St. Charles for 34 years! Businesses and organizations decorate scarecrows for a village-wide contest every year creating quite the assemblage of unique and sometimes spooky scarecrows!  The event is pretty fun and also includes various festival elements. This year's fest is October 11-13.

Carol Stream Halloween Decorating Contest -- The Carol Stream Halloween Decorating Contest is one of our favorites events in fall! The village puts together a map that you can easily follow. This year's contest runs October 14-21. Some of the displays are truly incredible!

Night of 1,000 Jack O Lanterns --  For ten evenings this year, Chicago Botanic Garden will be ablaze with the lights of 1,000 sweet, spooky and totally creative jack-o-lanterns. The event also includes live carving, interesting characters and ghost trains in the Model Train Garden! This year's event is October 16-20 and 23-27.