Patch Picks: Fall Activities

Every Thursday, Patch will run a weekly feature called Patch Picks, highlighting editor and reader picks of great local businesses, destinations, services, organizations, ways to spend a day off, and more.

You’ll find useful lists to help you, your family, friends, and significant others find the best places for everything from Sunday brunch to New Year’s Eve celebrations, pumpkin patches, date night destinations, florists, girlfriend nights out, kids party places, parks and more.

For this week, we're looking at things to do to celebrate the fall season.

1. Lemont Township’s Oktoberfest

Join family and friends for food and fun from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, at the , 16300 Alba St. Activities are planned for kids of all ages. A bean bag tournament is planned for 1:30 p.m. and live music will begin at 5 p.m. The Lemont Lions will host a beverage garden, and Puckerville Farms will offer pumpkin sales and pumpkin carving. All donations raised from the event will benefit the Lemont Township Family Assistance Fund. For more information, email terri-oneill@lemonttownship.org.

2. October Fest

This event, celebrating harvest and German heritage, will include live music, German food, drinks and more from 3 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, 435 Talcott Ave. For more information, call 1-630-243-0233.

3. Lemont Park District Fall Fest

The free fall event, from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, will include a scarecrow-building contest, disc jockey, children's games and jumpie, a costume contest and bonfire with hot dogs and s’mores, and a straw maze for kids. For more information, visit the Lemont Park District website.

4. Fright Night in the Old Stone Church

Hear tales of the supernatural and visit an 1860 coffin if you dare at 7 pm. Tuesday, Oct. 25, at the , 306 Lemont St. For more information, call the historical society at 1-630-257-2972.

5. Halloween Hoedown

The event, set from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, in historical downtown Lemont, will include a costume parade and contest, hayrides, a scarecrow-building contest, kids entertainment, trick-or-treating at Safety Village, and more. Lemont’s downtown merchants also are planning some haunted happenings of their own that day from 7 p.m. to midnight, which will include a costume contest, scavenger hunt, music, and a Split-The-Pot Raffle. For more information call 1-630-243-2700 or visit the village's website.