The calendar has flipped to October, and this is the part of the season I look forward to all year: the farms are in full swing, the corn mazes are cut, and every town between Frankfort and Valparaiso has something worth the drive. I went back through the event pages this week and verified everything below with the venues themselves, so you can plan with confidence. A quick note before you head out: farm schedules can shift with the weather, so give each place a fast check on its own site first.
Lemont's Scarecrow Trail Runs Through October 18
Lemont turns its whole village into an outdoor gallery for its Lemontster Days scarecrow trail, which runs September 26 through October 18 under the theme Stars, Stripes and Scarecrows. Businesses and residents build the displays, and strolling the trail through the historic limestone downtown on a crisp afternoon is one of the best free ways to spend a weekend. Lemont is also an easy stop off the Heritage Corridor rail line if you want to make a day of it.
The Illinois Farm Trail
Three farms anchor the South Suburbs this season, and each one has its own personality. Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm in Homer Glen, at 13341 West 151st Street, runs September 4 through November 8 with riding attractions, tractor-pulled hayrides, pony rides, pig races, a petting zoo, a kid-friendly haunted barn, a corn maze and a classic pumpkin patch. Konow's Corn Maze, at 16849 Cedar Road in Homer Glen, opened its season September 19 with 10 acres of corn mazes, a straw playground, jumpy pillows, an animal farm, a cow train and hayrides; admission runs about $15 on weekdays and $18 on weekends for ages 3 and up. And Odyssey Fun Farm in Tinley Park, at 18900 Oak Park Avenue, brings a 13-acre pumpkin patch, a 15-acre corn maze themed to Peter Pan this year, a petting zoo and hayrides, with an $8 zombie paintball gallery for the older kids who want a little more adventure.
The Indiana Farm Trail
Cross the state line and the story continues. Harvest Tyme in Lowell, at 17904 Grant Street, runs its Fall Festival Saturdays and Sundays through October 25 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a large family corn maze, a kiddie maze, u-pick pumpkins, hayrides, a petting zoo and 30-plus games and attractions, and the weekend Pumpkin Glow and Trail of Lights stays open until 9 p.m. Johnson's Farm in Hobart hosts its Pumpkin Festival Weekends on October 17 and 18, October 24 and 25, and October 31, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 8960 East Ridge Road: a 13-acre corn maze, jumping pillows, Straw Mountain, pedal karts, a Goat Village and u-pick pumpkins for $15.99 general admission, with the companion Giant Pumpkin Farm open daily through October 31. County Line Orchard in Hobart keeps its apples, pumpkins, corn maze, sunflower fields, hayrides and live music going through October, and Hidden Creek Farm in Crown Point, at 7211 West 87th Avenue, offers u-pick and pre-picked pumpkins, mums, hayrides, a glow maze and a fire pit on most fall days, closed Mondays and Thursdays.
Portage's Haunted Hayride Returns
For the brave, Portage's Woodland Park Haunted Hayride runs October 15 through 17 and again October 22 through 24 at Woodland Park, with gates opening at 6:30 p.m. until capacity. Concessions and food trucks are on site, and the event is run by Portage Parks with the Portage Chamber of Commerce. It sells out most nights, so plan to arrive early.
For Those Who Like It Scarier
If the haunted hayride is not quite enough, Midnight Terror in Oak Lawn, often called Chicagoland's number one haunted house, celebrates its 10th season on Fridays September 27 through November 9 with a new Black Oak Grove street scare zone, and HellsGate in Lockport turns a multi-level mansion in the woods into a maze of secret passages and scare actors on select October nights. These are real-scare attractions, so leave them for the older teens and the brave-hearted, not the littlest ones.
Markets and Halloween Weekends
The Frankfort Country Market at Oak and Kansas Streets keeps its season going through October 25, and New Lenox wraps the month with its Chamber Halloween Fest on Saturday, October 24, complete with trunk-or-treat and a costume contest, alongside the Park District's Boo Bash the same day. October has a rhythm worth building a weekend around: pumpkins, mazes, hayrides, and neighbors celebrating the season together.
If you are thinking about making one of these towns your next home, come visit on a weekend like this one. Watch how the farms fill up, how the squares dress for the season, how neighbors show up for each other. I have got your back from the first question to the closing table, and I would love to help you find the right spot for your next chapter. You Can With Joanne!™