“Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience” is now open at the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago’s Camp Duncan off Route 12 in Ingleside. The experience runs through Nov. 2.

Performances are set for Oct. 10-11 and 14.

Watch football and baseball playoff games at one of these lively sports bars in northern Illinois.

HellsGate Haunted House in Lockport is now open for the 2025 Halloween season.

Check out these delightfully frightening haunted houses in northern Illinois, guaranteed to bring the scares this season.

Naperville Oktoberfest

These northern Illinois pumpkin farms are ready to welcome guests for a day of family-friendly fall fun.

The event will have live music by The Fall Guys, a special OAKtoberfest beer from Two Hound Red, apple cider doughnuts, apple cider, games and much more.

For the entire month, wine lovers are encouraged to host small, casual get-togethers to celebrate their love of wine.

The 2025-26 season opens Oct. 4 and Oct. 5 at the McAninch Arts Center, located on the campus of College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn.

October is a jam-packed month at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, with events for adults-only and the whole family.

Enjoy discounts to select shows and free programming during October.

Nick's Tavern in Lemont beat out Crystal Lake-based food truck Smash'D Burgers and Fries in a WGN competition for best burger in the Chicago area.

Brookfield Zoo is hosting an Oktoberfest on Sunday, Sept. 28, while Cantigny in Wheaton is hosting their Fall Fest on Saturday, Sept. 27 and Sunday, Sept. 28.

The free festival is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club, and runs from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26 and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27.

From wine tastings to historic tours, Galena is the perfect destination for a quick weekend getaway.

The MAC, located on the College of DuPage campus in Glen Ellyn, opens its 2025-26 season with Steve Solomon's 'My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish & I'm in Therapy' Sept. 28.

The fall fun festival will open in Lake Zurich on Sept. 26 in Paulus Park, 200 S. Rand Road. Jack O’Lantern World in Lemont, to be held at The Forge Lemont Quarries, 227 Heritage Quarries Drive, will open for its first year Oct. 2.

Looking for an outdoorsy getaway this season? Check out these four destinations in northern Illinois.

The event runs from 5-9 p.m. in downtown Aurora on Friday, Sept. 26.

The Napa Valley winery is known for high quality Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

While many Oktoberfest celebrations happen in September, here's a list of German-themed beer festivals happening in October.

A Crystal Lake-based food truck and a Lemont restaurant beat out dozens of competitors for the best burger and are now in the championship round in WGN radio’s first-ever Chicago’s Very Own Eats: Best Burgers Tournament.

Try the Mega Hike at Starved Rock State Park.

Enjoy live Oompah music and a special Oktoberfest beer.

The festive event will feature garden tours, hayrides, kids activities, live music, beer, food and more.

Naperville Irish Fest is Saturday, Sept. 20 at Central Park, while Glen Ellyn's Oktoberfest is at Two Hound Red Brewing Co. Thursday, Sept. 18 through Saturday, Sept. 20.

The festival opens Thursday, Sept. 18 and runs through Saturday, Sept. 20 in downtown Aurora.

Hayride of Horror and Curse of the Bayou run on Fridays, Saturdays and select Sundays in October at Dellwood Park in Lockport.

Beer, Bands and Barns, an outdoor music and brews festival, is Saturday, Sept. 20 at Dickson-Murst Farm in Montgomery.

The Guild in downtown Wheaton will offer breakfast, lunch and small and shareable dishes for dinner.

Ludacris, Timbaland and more hip hop artists will perform at the second annual event Saturday, Sept. 20 at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva.

National Cheeseburger Day is Thursday, Sept. 18.

Cantigny will offer a number of events this September, including a Revolutionary War Reenactment, Red Oak Farm Dinner, car show and more.

Robinson, a guitar virtuoso who's played with Emmylou Harris, Kenny Rogers, Chris Stapleton and more, will perform Saturday, Oct. 4.

Additional shows include "Annie," "9 to 5" and "Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story."

The star of the brunch menu is The Greggory’s Big Baller Brunch, which includes a cooked-to-perfection 32-ounce Senku Wagyu Tomahawk, a buttermilk pancake tower with all the fixings, eight eggs any style, crispy hash browns and bottomless mimosas.

Downers Grove Oktoberfest runs Friday and Saturday in downtown Downers Grove. Grammy Award-winning band Gipsy Kings will perform Friday night.

The 10th Annual Elmhurst Craft Beer Fest will make its return Saturday, September 13 outdoors at the Elmhurst History Museum

The zoo's Frontera Farm-to-Table Dinner is Sept. 12, while Oktoberfest is set for Sept. 28. Many additional events are also scheduled throughout the season.

Get ready for a fun-packed fall with the Glen Ellyn Park District’s lineup of events this late September and October

West coast winemaker Dave Merfeld of Northstar Winery continues to promote Merlot, the often-maligned wine varietal.

The Education Foundation of Downers Grove School District 58 hosts its annual Oktoberfest this weekend in downtown Downers Grove

Upcoming shows include 'Come From Away,' 'Heartbreak Hotel,' 'Frozen The Musical' and 'Little Shop of Horrors.'

Exhibit highlights include rare and unpublished photographs of Hope; wartime correspondence between Hope and service members; WWII-era relics engraved to Hope; videos of his traveling, wartime troupe and Hollywood Victory Caravan programs and scrapbooks.  

The fall months bring several craft beer festivals throughout northern Illinois.

The Downers Grove Fine Arts Festival is Sept. 6-7, and the DuPage Comic Con is Sept. 6 at the DuPage County Fairgrounds.

The Downers Grove Fine Arts Festival will bring more than 50 artists to the city's downtown for this two-day event.

The annual SBC Invitation is Sunday, Sept. 28 at St. Paul United Church of Christ in Downers Grove.

One new addition will be Uzu Revolving Sushi, which is a dine-in restaurant with a fresh take on rotary sushi. The restaurant is expected to open this Fall.