October is wrapping up in the best possible way, and the calendar ahead is a lovely blend of the spooky and the festive: the last Halloween events of the season, a full weekend of craft shows on both sides of the state line, Veterans Day, and the holiday kickoff in the second week of November. I went back through the venue pages, park district calendars and town event listings this week and verified everything below, so you can plan with confidence. As always, give each host a quick check before you head out, since dates and hours can shift with the weather.
The weekend that just wrapped
A quick archive note before the new week: the October 24 and 25 events came and went beautifully, from Downtown Frankfort's Thriller Trick or Treat to Tinley Park's Boo Bash at Harmony Square, Mokena's Halloween Mayhem at Main Park and Crown Point's Pumpkin Walk on the square. If you missed them, the good news is that Halloween week itself is still ahead, and the town-by-town trick-or-treat hours for October 31 are already posted, so you can plan the whole day.
The spooky week ahead, October 26 through 31
Portage keeps its haunted energy going with Boos & Brews on Friday, October 30 from 6 p.m. at Woodland Park, an evening brewfest that closes out the season with a spooky twist; check the event listing for details. A little south in Dyer, Elzinga Farms' family-friendly haunted house runs daily through October 30, so there is still time for one last walk through the spooky barns before Halloween itself.
Crown Point's Christian Reformed Church holds its trunk or treat on Friday, October 30, a neighborhood-style evening for the kids; check with the church for the time and location. And Valparaiso turns the weekend before Halloween into a grown-up night out: the Adult Downtown Trick-or-Treat on Friday, October 30 lets 21-and-over visitors stroll the downtown businesses for treats, and Journeyman's Halloween Party at The American Factory lands the same evening for a festive, musical night.
On Halloween Saturday itself, October 31, Portage adds the Halloween BASH '26 NWI at Woodland Park for an adult night out, while the family-friendly anchor of the day remains Frankfort's Police Department Safety Trunk or Treat from 10 a.m. to noon in the Breidert Green parking lot, opened by the E.F. Bucko costume parade. Then the towns take over for the evening: trick-or-treat windows run from 2 p.m. up to 8 p.m. depending on the village, with Orland Park and New Lenox among the latest, and the full town-by-town list is in my Halloween post from earlier this month.
Saturday, November 7: a craft-show marathon
November opens with one of the busiest craft weekends of the year. Frankfort's 33rd Annual Holiday Craft Show takes over the Founders Community Center on Oak Street from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., a town tradition with handmade gifts and local vendors, and Schererville's Holiday Craft Show, the parks and recreation department's longest-running show, runs Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Community Center and Homan School. Tinley Park stacks two more on Saturday: the REACH Inclusion Craft Fair runs 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Tony Bettenhausen Recreation Center, and the High School Art Show opens at the Vogt Visual Arts Center from 1 to 3 p.m., a lovely look at what local student artists are making. Across the state line, the Porter County Expo Center in Valparaiso hosts the Fall Gigantic Indoor Garage Sale on Saturday, the kind of hunt where you never know what you will find. Four towns, four very different ways to spend a Saturday.
Wednesday, November 11: Veterans Day
Before the holiday lights come on, Veterans Day lands Wednesday, November 11. Munster and Orland Park both hold ceremonies, and communities across the South Suburbs and Northwest Indiana have their own observances; check your town's calendar so you can honor those who served.
November 12 through 15: the holiday season officially begins
The second week of November is when the season turns. One honest correction: the Candlelight celebration some calendars list for November 12 through 14 belongs to downtown Frankfort, Kentucky, not Frankfort, Illinois. Our Frankfort's holiday season runs through December, with the town's Lighting of the Green and Midnight Madness in the posts ahead.
Orland Park switches on the biggest new tradition in the region: the World of Illumination drive-through Christmas light show opens Friday, November 13 at Orland Square Mall, running 6 to 10 p.m. nightly and continuing through January 3, 2027. A full light tour from the warmth of your car makes it a wonderful option no matter the weather, and it is the kind of thing kids remember for years.
Saturday, November 14 is packed on both sides of the line. Orland Park adds a craft show of its own, listed on the town's events calendar at 13401 Wolf Road starting around 9 a.m. Tinley Park's REACH program hosts a Princess and Pancake Party from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Tony Bettenhausen Recreation Center for the little ones. And Valparaiso stacks two holiday openers: the 3 Little Birds Holiday Market at the Porter County Expo Center (open from Friday, November 13) and the Bearcat Holiday Craft Show at the Wheeler High School Fieldhouse from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Make the most of the season
You do not need a big production to feel the season arrive. A brewfest on a Friday night, a craft-show Saturday, a drive-through light show from the warmth of your car: these small traditions are what make a place feel like home. And if you are weighing a move, this is the perfect stretch to come visit and test the fit. Wander the craft booths, watch the town light up, feel the streets fill. That is when you know. When you are ready, I would love to be in your corner. You Can With Joanne!™