The big summer anchors have wrapped up, and I have to say, this is my favorite stretch of the year in our corner of the world. The mornings get crisp, the markets settle into their autumn rhythm, and the calendar fills with Oktoberfests and harvest festivals that give every community its own personality. After a September 12 built around the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival and the Crown Point Wine Festival, here is what I verified for the weekends ahead across the Chicago South Suburbs and Northwest Indiana. As always, give the host a quick check, since dates and hours can shift.
September 18 through 20: Tinley Park Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest season opens in full across the South Suburbs at Harmony Square in downtown Tinley Park. Traditional German food and beer, live music and family fun run Friday 3 to 10 p.m., Saturday noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. It is one of the most anticipated weekends of the fall, and the same square keeps hosting its Music in the Plaza concerts on select Saturdays through September 26, so you may catch an outdoor show on the way to the tent.
Close by, Palos Park holds Autumn in the Park on September 18 and 19 at the Palos Park Recreation Center, a warm community festival with vendors, food and activities for all ages. It is a gentle, family-friendly way to ease into autumn on the Illinois side.
September 25 through 27: a full weekend on the Indiana side
Portage marks the season with its Harvest Festival from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 26 at Founders Square: live music, food trucks, a beer garden, games and local artisan, baker and crafter vendors. Meanwhile Valpo BrewFest takes over Central Park Plaza in Valparaiso on September 25 and 26, with a Biergarten Kick-Off on Friday evening. BrewFest frequently sells out or limits public admission, so it is worth grabbing tickets ahead of time if you plan to go. Between the two, you could easily spend the whole weekend on the Indiana side.
The markets keep going
One of my favorite things about the season is that the markets do not close just because summer did. The Tinley Park Fall Farmers Market runs Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Harmony Square, with the fall market weeks spanning September 28 through October 12: fall produce, flowers and handmade goods. Tinley Park also has a couple of nice evening touches on its calendar, Make Music Night with Dueling Pianos on October 8 and Games in the Square on October 10. On the Illinois side, the Frankfort Country Market keeps its Sunday mornings going through October 25 at Breidert Green, which means fresh produce and local goods well into the fall.
The first weekend of October is already stacked
Mark your calendar now, because October 1 through 4 is one of the busiest stretches of the year. Mokena Fall Fest runs October 1 through 4 at Yunker Farm on La Porte Road, with a carnival, food vendors, a beer tent, kids' activities and live music, and admission around $5. St. John holds its Oktoberfest October 2 through 4. And Crown Point's Oktoberfest takes over Bulldog Park on Saturday, October 3 from noon to 10 p.m., free and family friendly, with live music, a beer garden, hayrides, face painting and a bean-bag tournament. If you have friends or family considering a move to any of these towns, an Oktoberfest weekend is a wonderful way for them to feel the community before they ever tour a house.
A few smaller Tinley touches
Tinley Park rounds out early October with two smaller events worth knowing about: REACH Fall Fest on Friday, October 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. at McCarthy Park, with mini-golf and seasonal activities for kids, and the Fall Arts and Craft Fair on Saturday, October 10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Tony Bettenhausen Recreation Center. These are the kinds of events where you run into your neighbors and remember why a town feels like a town.
Make the most of the season
You do not need a big festival to feel autumn arrive. A farmers market Saturday, a Dueling Pianos night, a hayride in Bulldog Park: these small moments are what make a place feel like home. And if you are weighing a move, this is a wonderful time to come visit and test the fit. Wander the booths, listen to the music, sit on a bench and watch the neighborhood go by. That is when you know. When you are ready, I would love to be in your corner. You Can With Joanne!™