Labor Day weekend came and went, and with it our big summer anchors: the Frankfort Fall Festival, the Will County Fair in Peotone and the Lake County Fair in Crown Point have all wrapped up for 2026. Yet this is exactly the stretch of the year I look forward to most. The air turns crisp, the farmers markets settle into their autumn rhythm, and the calendar is full of small, wonderful reasons to get out into the community. Here is what I verified this week across the South Suburbs and Northwest Indiana. As always, give the host a quick check, since dates and hours can shift.
This Saturday, September 12: Valparaiso Popcorn Festival
Downtown Valparaiso celebrates Orville Redenbacher's popcorn legacy on Saturday with the Popcorn Festival: the parade, live music and hundreds of arts, craft and food booths along Lincolnway. If you have never been, this is the year. Then head back to Crown Point that evening for the Crown Point Wine Festival from 5 to 9 p.m. at Bulldog Park, with pours from wineries across Northwest Indiana, Southwest Michigan and the Chicagoland area. Two very different, both memorable ways to spend the day.
Farmers market season keeps going
One of my favorite things about September is that the markets do not end just because summer does. Tinley Park Farmers Market runs Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Harmony Square in downtown Tinley Park. Orland Park Market in the Park continues Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Centennial Park West, 15609 Park Station Boulevard. Mokena Market sets up Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on downtown Front Street. And on the Indiana side, the Munster Farmers Market keeps going through mid-October near Town Hall and Community Park, so check the town's calendar for the remaining dates.
Friday evening: a small artisan market in Mokena
If you are free Friday, September 11, Crafted 1979 Bottle Shop at 19200 La Grange Road in Mokena hosts A Small Street Artisan Market and Social, an evening of local makers and a neighborhood feel. It is a lovely example of the small-scale events that give our towns their character. Confirm the time on the shop's page before you head over.
September 18 through 20: Tinley Park Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest season officially opens across the South Suburbs this weekend 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. The same square has been hosting the Music in the Plaza concerts on select Saturdays through September 26, so there may be one more chance to catch an outdoor show before the season closes.
New Lenox Park District fall lineup
The New Lenox Park District has its autumn events posted on its calendar, including Last Call Before Fall with the Empty Bowls soup supper benefiting Friends of the Park, and a campfire Halloween-Lou Roast at Haines Wayside Park. Dates and times are on the park district's page, and these fill up quickly, so it is worth planning around them.
Saturday, September 26: a full day across the state line
Portage holds its Harvest Festival from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Founders Square, with live music, food trucks, a beer garden, games and local artisan, baker and crafter vendors. The same weekend, Valpo BrewFest takes over Central Park Plaza in Valparaiso from September 25 through 26, with the Biergarten Kick-Off on Friday evening. BrewFest frequently sells out or limits public admission, so grab tickets ahead of time if you plan to go.
On the October horizon
The first weekend of October is already stacking up. 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. Admission is around $5, and hours run Thursdays and Fridays 5 to 10 p.m., Saturdays noon to 10 p.m. and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. St. John holds its Oktoberfest October 2 through 4, and Crown Point's Oktoberfest takes over Bulldog Park on Saturday, October 3 with a beer garden, hay rides, live music and a bean-bag tournament. These are the weekends that make October worth planning around.
What has wrapped up
If you missed any of these, they are gone until next year: the Frankfort Fall Festival, the Will County Fair in Peotone and the Lake County Fair in Crown Point all closed out their 2026 seasons over the past few weeks. The good news is that the calendar ahead is just as full.
Make the most of the season
Every community here has its own autumn traditions, and you do not need a big event to feel the season change. A Saturday market, a Friday concert, a chili supper in a park: these are the moments that make a place feel like home. And if you are thinking about moving to one of these communities, this is a wonderful time to test the fit. Wander the booths. Listen to the music. That is when you know. When you are ready to make the move, I would love to be in your corner. You Can With Joanne!™