Chicago is a wonderful city for families with young children, and October may be the most fun month of the year to live here! Lincoln Park Zoo runs a free fall festival for five weeks, neighborhood main streets become trick-or-treat routes on the weekends before Halloween, and Navy Pier hands out candy indoors on Halloween afternoon. This guide includes some of our favorite Halloween events in Chicago for families with toddlers and preschoolers, organized by the neighborhoods around our Lincoln Park, River North, West Loop, and North Center schools, with 2026 dates and times so parents can plan around naps and bedtimes.
Halloween events in Chicago for young children in October 2026
- Fall Fest at Lincoln Park Zoo runs through November 1 with free admission, a daily pumpkin patch, and ticketed rides.
- Spooky Zoo at Lincoln Park Zoo is Saturday, October 17, with free trick-or-treating and free carousel rides.
- Lincoln Park Spooktacular trick-or-treating is Saturday, October 24, on Lincoln Avenue and Sunday, October 25, on Clark Street, both 1 to 4 p.m. and free.
- Roscoe Village Halloween Block Party is Sunday, October 18, from noon to 5 p.m. on Roscoe Street between Damen and Hoyne.
- Slightly Spooky October at Navy Pier is free on Saturdays October 17, 24, and 31 from 1 to 5 p.m., with indoor trick-or-treating on October 31.
- The Chicago Park District hosts a free Halloween Party at the Lincoln Park Cultural Center on Thursday, October 29, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Lincoln Park: Fall Fest, Spooky Zoo, and Spooktacular
Fall Fest at Lincoln Park Zoo runs through Sunday, November 1, and admission is free. The pumpkin patch is open every day, and live pumpkin carving happens on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Ferris wheel, giant slide, and inflatables need ride tickets. On Saturday, October 17, the zoo adds Spooky Zoo, a free trick-or-treat day with candy stations around the grounds, a scavenger hunt, kid-friendly entertainment, and free carousel rides. Consider arriving when the buildings open at 10 a.m., since the candy goes fast.
The following weekend, the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce hosts Spooktacular, two afternoons of free trick-or-treating at neighborhood shops. Saturday, October 24, covers Lincoln Avenue from Diversey to Webster from 1 to 4 p.m., with treats, a photo booth, and face painting at the Lincoln Common plaza, and Sunday, October 25, covers Clark Street from Armitage to Diversey during the same hours. The Chicago Park District rounds out the month with a free Halloween Party at the Lincoln Park Cultural Center, 2045 N. Lincoln Park West, on Thursday, October 29, from 4 to 6 p.m.
“Our families look forward to Spooktacular every year, and children love showing their teachers the costumes they wore over the weekend,” said Shanti Cooper, School Director of The Gardner School of Chicago – Lincoln Park. “A neighborhood event like this is a wonderful way for young children to practice good manners and to feel at home in their community.”
River North: Navy Pier and Seward Park
Families near our River North school can walk or take a short cab ride to Slightly Spooky October at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Avenue, which is free on Saturdays October 17, 24, and 31 from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, October 31, is the big one, with indoor trick-or-treating throughout the Pier from 1 to 5 p.m., mask making, and a family costume contest from 3 to 5 p.m. Closer to Old Town, the Chicago Park District hosts a Haunted Fieldhouse at Seward Park, 375 W. Elm Street, on Thursday, October 29, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
West Loop: Mary Bartelme Park and the Arts in the Dark parade
The West Loop’s favorite Halloween tradition is the annual West Loop Families Halloween Parade at Mary Bartelme Park, 115 S. Sangamon Street, where costumed children parade around the park and then trick-or-treat at neighborhood businesses. The parade is free and usually takes place on a Saturday afternoon in late October from 3 to 5 p.m., and West Loop Families posts this year’s date on its website and social channels. A short walk east, the Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade on Saturday, October 24, moves north on Columbus Drive from Balbo to Jackson with giant puppets, dancers, and floats, and the evening start works for families with a young child who can stay up a bit past dinner.
North Center and Roscoe Village: the block party on Roscoe Street
The Roscoe Village Halloween Block Party closes Roscoe Street between Damen and Hoyne on Sunday, October 18, from noon to 5 p.m. for a family afternoon of Halloween activities, costumes, and treats, a short walk from our North Center school on Western Avenue. The next Sunday, October 25, Lincoln Square businesses host Lincoln Scared and Ravenswood trick-or-treating from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a pumpkin decorating station on Damen Avenue. Both events are free.
Halloween tips for toddlers and preschoolers in the city
Chicago does not set official trick-or-treat hours for Halloween night, so the neighborhood events above are the easiest way for a young child to collect candy in daylight. A costume that fits over a jacket and a wagon or stroller for the walk home make the afternoon easier. Families looking for more fall ideas can also read about top fall activities for Chicago families and nature scavenger hunts in Lincoln Park.
Halloween at The Gardner School of Chicago – Lincoln Park
The Gardner School of Chicago – Lincoln Park welcomes infants through Pre-K at 2850 N. Lincoln Avenue, just north of Diversey Parkway and steps from the Spooktacular route. The school is NAEYC accredited and open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with an indoor playscape, an enrichment studio and computer lab, a Kids’ Café, and enrichment classes that include gymnastics, Spanish, music, and karate. Families in other neighborhoods can learn more about The Gardner School of Chicago – River North, The Gardner School of Chicago – West Loop, and The Gardner School of Chicago – North Center. Parents comparing preschools in Lincoln Park are welcome to schedule a tour at The Gardner School of Chicago – Lincoln Park and ask about hours, meals, and the daily schedule.
