All Picks
Weekend Picks
Every curated pick across both states, from dining and outdoors to arts and family fun. Filter by state or category to find what's near you.
Portage Harvest Festival: A Fall Celebration at Founders Square
Portage's free Harvest Festival returns to Founders Square on Saturday, Sept 26, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with live music, food trucks, a beer garden, and local artisan vendors.
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Highland Backyard BBQ Festival: A Long Weekend of Ribs and Rides
Highland's Backyard BBQ Festival runs Thursday through Sunday, Sept 24 to 27, 2026, from 2 to 10 p.m. each day at Main Square Park with BBQ food, a beer garden, carnival rides, and live music.
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Frankfort Wine & Ale Walk: An Afternoon on the Green
Frankfort's 14th Annual Wine & Ale Walk returns Sunday, Sept 27, 2026, from 2 to 6 p.m., with tastings at downtown businesses and live music on the Breidert Green stage.
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Beecher Farmers Market: Saturdays at Firemen's Park
The Beecher Lions Club market returns to Firemen's Park on select Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the 2026 season finale on Oct 17, 2026.
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Mokena Fall Fest: Carnival Nights at Yunker Farm
Mark your calendar for Oct 1 to 4, when the Mokena Family Fall Fest brings a carnival, food vendors, a beer tent, and live music to Yunker Farm.
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Crown Point Farmers Market: Saturday Mornings on the Square
The Crown Point Farmers Market wraps its 2026 season Saturday, Sept 26, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bulldog Park: 70-plus vendors, local produce, and live music next to the courthouse square.
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Fall Farmers Markets: St. John and Highland
Market season runs strong across Northwest Indiana. St. John opens Sundays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. from May 3 through Oct 25 at 9660 Wicker Avenue, and Highland's downtown market gathers Thursday afternoons at 2730 Highway Avenue through the season.
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Hickory Creek Preserve: A Morning on the Trail
Hit the boardwalk trails through lush forest preserve, perfect for a family nature walk or a peaceful solo morning. Multiple access points in Mokena.
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Mokena's Family Weekend: Go-Karts, Trails, and More
From high-speed go-karts at K1 Speed to peaceful walks at Hickory Creek, Mokena has a surprisingly fun weekend lineup for families.
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Patio Season: Outdoor Dining in Orland Park
From ribs to seafood, Orland Park's restaurant scene has patio dining covered. Here are three spots worth your weekend evening.
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Crown Point's Main Street: A Saturday Stroll
Walk the historic Crown Point square, grab coffee at Sip Coffee House, and explore the shops and restaurants lining Main Street. A perfect low-key Saturday.
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A Night at Theatre at the Center
Catch a professional live performance at this intimate Munster theater. Big productions in a cozy setting, perfect for a date night or girls' night out.
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Weekend Vibes at Munster's Centennial Park
Trails, an amphitheater, and plenty of green space. Centennial Park is Munster's outdoor hub for a relaxed weekend afternoon.
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Crown Point Oktoberfest: A Free Fall Celebration at Bulldog Park
Crown Point's Oktoberfest returns Saturday, Oct 3, 2026, at Bulldog Park with German food, a beer garden, live music, hayrides, and games.
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Harvest Tyme: Corn Mazes, Pumpkins, and the Pumpkin Glow in Lowell
Harvest Tyme's fall season in Lowell is open every weekend through Oct 25, 2026, with corn mazes, a pumpkin patch, a petting zoo, hayrides, and the evening Pumpkin Glow Trail on Fridays through Sundays.
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Frankfort Country Market: Sunday Mornings at Breidert Green
The Frankfort Country Market fills Breidert Green every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with produce, baked goods, flowers, and live music, running through Oct 25, 2026.
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New Lenox Halloween Fest & Scarecrow Stroll: Family Fun at the Commons
The New Lenox Chamber's Halloween Fest returns to the Village Commons on Saturday, Oct 24, 2026, with trunk-or-treat, a pumpkin party, and a costume contest, plus the free Scarecrow Stroll all October.
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The Great Pumpkin Party: Fall Family Fun at Centennial Park
Orland Park's Great Pumpkin Party returns Saturday, Oct 3, 2026, to Centennial Park with pony rides, hayrides, barrel-train rides, marshmallow toasting, and games.
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Munster Farmers Market: Sunday Mornings at Centennial Park
The Munster Farmers Market runs Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Centennial Park through Oct 11, a relaxed close to the weekend with local produce, baked goods, and crafts.
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St. John Oktoberfest: A German Celebration at the Parish
St. John's free Oktoberfest returns Friday through Sunday, Oct 2 to 4, 2026, at St. John the Evangelist Parish with German food and beer, live music, and family fun.
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New Lenox Fallapalooza: A Free Family Afternoon at the Commons
The New Lenox Park District's Fallapalooza returns Saturday, Oct 10, 2026, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Performing Arts Pavilion with live music, bounce houses, train rides, face painting, and pumpkin decorating.
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Munster's Pumpkins, Witches and Hayrides, Oh My!
Munster's free fall family event returns Saturday, Oct 3, 2026, at Centennial Park with a pumpkin patch, costumed characters, a candy hunt, and pony rides.
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Tinley Park Fall Arts & Craft Fair: A Saturday of Local Makers
The Tinley Park Park District's Fall Arts & Craft Fair runs Saturday, Oct 10, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Tony Bettenhausen Recreation Center.
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Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm: Fall Fest Near Orland Park
Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm Fall Fest in nearby Homer Glen runs daily through Nov 8, 2026, with a pumpkin patch, rides, pig races, a petting zoo, and hayrack rides, minutes from Orland Park.
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Enchanted Adventure: A Glowing Pumpkin Trail at The Forge in Lemont
Enchanted Adventure at The Forge: Lemont Quarries runs nightly from Sept 25 through Nov 1, 2026, with a half-mile illuminated trail of thousands of carved pumpkins and family-friendly zones.
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Trick or Treat in the Woods: A Costume Hike at Goodenow Grove in Beecher
The Forest Preserve District of Will County hosts Trick or Treat in the Woods at Plum Creek Nature Center in Beecher on Friday, Oct 2, 2026, with costume hikes along a glowing trail and s'mores.
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Highland Fright Ride: A Costume Bike Ride After Dark
Highland Parks & Recreation hosts the 4th Annual Fright Ride on Friday, Oct 2, 2026, starting at 7 p.m. at Main Square Park, a costume-friendly 7.75-mile night bike ride through town.
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Buckley Homestead Fall Festival: Old-Time Fun in Lowell
The Buckley Homestead Fall Festival returns to the Lake County living-history farm in Lowell this October with reenactors, historic crafts, food, and entertainment. The 2026 dates are posted at lakecountyparks.com as they are confirmed.
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Scary at the Prairie 5K: A Costume Run Through Downtown Frankfort
Frankfort's Scary at the Prairie 5K Costume Run & Spooky Sprints is Saturday, Oct 17, 2026, at Breidert Green with a 5K run and walk, a kids' fun run in costume, and a youth sprint.
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St. John Boo Bash: Trunk or Treat at Prairie West Park
St. John's free Boo Bash & Trunk or Treat returns Saturday, Oct 17, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon at Prairie West Park with trunk-or-treat, pumpkin train rides, pumpkin decorating, and a costume parade.
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Halloween Mayhem at Main Park: Trunk or Treat and a Haunted Trail
The Mokena Park District's Halloween Mayhem brings trunk-or-treat, a haunted trail, and a monster market to Main Park on Saturday, Oct 24, 2026, from noon to 3 p.m.
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Crete's Halloween Happening: A Village October Weekend
The Village of Crete's Halloween Happening is listed on the official events calendar for Sunday, Oct 18, 2026, from 11 a.m. to noon, with the Crete Public Library's Retro Movie Friday series nearby.
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Dyer Flannel Fest: A Cozy Fall Weekend in Town
Dyer's Flannel Fest is set for Saturday and Sunday, Nov 7 and 8, 2026, per the Indiana Festival Schedule Guide, a cozy harvest-season gathering with details shared by the town of Dyer as the date nears.
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Schererville Holiday Craft Show: A November Weekend of Local Makers
Schererville Parks & Recreation's long-running Holiday Craft Show fills the Schererville Community Center and Homan Elementary with handmade gifts and holiday decor on Saturday and Sunday, Nov 7 and 8, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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Portage Haunted Hayride: Spooky Nights at Woodland Park
Portage Parks & Recreation's Haunted Hayride returns to Woodland Park on Thursday through Saturday, Oct 15 to 17 and Oct 22 to 24, 2026, with spooky fun starting at 6:30 p.m., plus concessions and food trucks. Cash-only tickets, and it sells out.
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Boos & Brews Brewfest: A Halloween Brew Night at Woodland Park
Portage's second annual Boos & Brews Brewfest brings a 21-and-older Halloween night of beer samplings, a costume contest, food vendors, and music to Oakwood Hall at Woodland Park on Friday, Oct 30, 2026, starting at 6 p.m.
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Indiana Elvis FANtasy Fest: A Musical Weekend at Woodland Park
The 34th annual Indiana Elvis FANtasy Fest, billed as the final one in Portage, fills the Woodland Park Community Building with Elvis tribute artists, live shows, and a benefit auction for Porter County Special Olympics, Friday through Sunday, Oct 9 to 11, 2026.
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Witches in the Woods: A Halloween Night Run in Crown Point
Crown Point's Witches in the Woods 5K and 2K sends costumed runners along a nighttime course at the Lake County Fairgrounds on Friday, Oct 30, 2026, at 6 p.m., alongside the Hocus Pocus Halloween market.
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Tinley Park Boo Bash: Family Trick-or-Treating at Harmony Square
Tinley Park's Boo Bash brings family trick-or-treating through business booths, a magician, and Halloween fun to Harmony Square on Sunday, Oct 25, 2026, from noon to 4 p.m.
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Ghostly Golf at Tinley Junction: A Halloween Mini Golf Weekend
Tinley Junction Mini Golf goes spooky for its Ghostly Golf Weekend, Friday through Sunday, Oct 2 to 4, 2026, from 4 to 9 p.m., with a Halloween-decorated course and a pumpkin decorating area.
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Fall on Canal: A Vintage Market Along the Lemont Waterfront
Mabel's Market hosts Fall on Canal on Sunday, Oct 4, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. along downtown Lemont's Canal Street, with 50-plus vintage, handmade, and boutique vendors, live music, and treats. Admission is $5.
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Lemont Harvest Fest: Trunk-or-Treat, Hayrides, and Family Fun
The Lemont Park District's Harvest Fest brings trunk-or-treating, food vendors, a beer tent, live music, kids' activities, and hayrides to its Centennial Campus on Saturday, Oct 10, 2026, from 3 to 6 p.m. Free to attend.
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Lemontster Days Scarecrow Trail: Vote for Your Favorite
Part of Lemontster Days, the village's Scarecrow Trail runs from Sept 26 through Oct 18, 2026, with this year's 'Stars, Stripes & Scarecrows' patriotic theme spread across downtown Lemont. Vote for your favorite as you stroll.
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