Welcome to spooky season!
I’m sitting here writing this on the first full day of fall, though it still feels more like late summer here in the Chicago area. Warm and breezy, a bit less humid than summer proper, and the trees are just starting to turn. Some years, the furnace is already cranking here by September’s third week, but not this year. (We like to hold off as long as we can without killing the houseplants; same goes for the A/C, which I never even bothered to install this year—it was a mild summer.)
Ignoring the fact that many of the stores (Costco, I’m looking at you) seem to think it’s already time to think about the Christmas holiday, we’re gearing up here for Halloween. Cauldron? Check! Spiders, owls and ghosts? Check! Everything orange and black and purple? Check! Candy corn? Well, no, that’s gross…
One of my earliest Halloween memories involved a party thrown by my local Parks & Recreation Department. The entire memory consists of the fluorescent lights in the room and my absolute refusal to bob for apples. After that, Halloween got more fun. Most recently, I’ve been to a Halloween-themed wedding reception (I dressed up as a fortune teller), set up for Trunk-or-Treat in the karate school parking lot (as a witch who had accidentally turned herself into a horse) and strolled the corn maze, rode the hayride and sipped hot apple cider at Abbey Farms in Aurora, Ill.
The seasonal holidays offer such a great opportunity to get the community out having some fun together.
So, how are you celebrating Halloween this year? My local park district is hosting a “Pumpkins in the Park” scavenger hunt, and a Fall Fest with inflatables, live music and, of course, a costume contest. Another local favorite is Scarecrow Fest in St. Charles, Ill., and, yes, we’ll probably head back to Abbey Farms for the fun and to pick out our pumpkins.
Whatever you’ve got planned, I hope it’s thrilling, chilling and a little bit spooky!
Happy Halloween!
Emily Tipping
Editorial Director,
Recreation Management
[email protected]
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