With a chill in the air and the Halloween season in full swing, trick or treating is right around the corner. As kids get excited to collect baskets or pillow cases full of chocolate and sour candies, here’s what you need to know about collecting candy on Halloween — and other festivities about town.
In Forest Park, trick or treating will take place Oct. 31 from 3 to 7:30 p.m.
If your house is giving out candy, leave your front light on or post a sign on the front door so that children know they can stop there.
To stay safe while trick or treating, it’s never a bad idea for parents to inspect candy before their kids dive in. Parents can also help incorporate reflective tape on dark costumes to help with visibility after the sun goes down. If your kids are trick or treating alone, give them a refresher on traffic safety and the importance of traveling from house to house in a small group.
There will also be trick or treating on Madison Street following the village’s casket races. The casket races, an annual tradition in the village during the Halloween season, takes place Oct. 19 on Beloit Avenue between Madison Street and Adams Street. There’s a casket parade at 10:30 a.m., races at 11 a.m., and trick or treating at 12:30 p.m.
On Oct. 13 from 10 to 11:30 a.m., the Historical Society of Forest Park and Scout Troop 107 are putting on walking tours of Forest Home Cemetery. The tours, which start every 15 minutes, will consist of scouts telling visitors about those buried in Forest Home Cemetery, founded in 1876. Tickets are $15 each and include a patch. All proceeds go to Scouts Troop 107. Buy tickets at www.forestparkhistory.org.
On Oct. 15 at 7 p.m., the Forest Park Public Library is hosting The Haunted Page: Tricks & Tales for October Eves. At the event, magician and storyteller William Pack will host an hour of magic, stories and comedy — all inspired by the likes of Edgar Allan Poe and Shirley Jackson. Register for this event at https://www.fppl.org/.
The Park District of Forest Park is hosting Trunk or Treat Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. In the parking lot at 7329 Harrison St., those who have registered their car can park and help pass out candy from their trunks. Participants are responsible for providing their own decorations for their cars and individually wrapped candy, though Ferrara Candy Company is also donating candy. Registering your car and trick or treating are free. Register a car at https://bit.ly/TrunkOrTreat2024.
If these events aren’t enough to satiate your yearning for spooky season, take a walk around Forest Park to see the Invasion of the Scarecrows. Every year, the Historical Society of Forest Park and Forest Park Arts Alliance sell materials to make scarecrows. Up to 300 scarecrows are guarding front yards around the village this season, and each tell their own story. Discover the variety of scary and funny scenes by walking or driving around town with the map on www.forestparkhistory.org.
Or if you don’t want to tour the scarecrows on your own, bring a bike to the Roos Recreation Center, 7329 Harrison St., on Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. for a casual ride around town, enjoying the scarecrows with your neighbors.