Costume contest planned in Franklin Park
Skaters can get into the spirit of the season – and compete to win a prize – during Scary Skate, set for 2 to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Franklin Park Ice Arena, 9711 Waveland Ave.
Participants who wear a costume will be half-off admission to the public session. Prizes will be given for the best costumes. To keep skaters safe, masks are discouraged.
The fee with costume is $3 for residents and $4 for nonresidents, with skate rental set at $4. Participants can wear their own skates.
It’s offered by the Park District of Franklin Park. Information is at 847-671-4268.
‘Casket’ races scheduled in Forest Park
Many people are familiar with the Chicago Marathon, which happens in downtown Chicago every October, but a spookier event is planned in Forest Park: the annual Casket Races, now in its 14th year.
Events take place in Forest Park, 7500 Madison St. Participants race creatively decorated “caskets” for a chance to win first to third place. Awards also are given out for the creepiest, most frightfully funny and even “dead last” casket.
Team check-in is 9 to 9:30 a.m., with vendors and food available at 9:30 a.m. A parade of caskets steps off at 10:30 a.m., followed by the races at 11 a.m. Trophies will be given out after the final heat. A kids and pets costume parade takes place before the final four heats.
Although it’s free for spectators, teams can register for $40. Sign up online at www.exploreforestpark.com. Trick or treating on Madison follows from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The Forest Park Chamber of Commerce & Development organizes the event.
Get the political scoop at chamber breakfast
Voters can learn more about key races and issues in the 2026 election during a breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Oct. 21 at Premiere Catering & Events, 6240 Joliet Road in Countryside.
Top state political insiders, such as political reporters Michael Flannery, Shia Kapos and Mary Ann Ahern will join a panel moderated by Thom Serafin.
The West Suburban Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosts the event, which costs $35 for members and $45 for nonmembers. Sign up at www.wscci.org, call 708-387-7550 or email [email protected].
Benefit aids domestic violence organization
Connected for Safety: A Benefit for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Community Conversation takes place 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 25 at The Elm, 23 W. Harris Ave. in La Grange.
The event, for those 16 and older, will include a conversation moderated by Pamela Lannom of The Hinsdalean about abuse facilitated by technology. She’ll also talk about how people can support survivors, recognize abuse and create safer communities.
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In addition, Pillars Community Health will present the first Hand & Heart Award to the PNCC nurses of UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale and La Grange, ‘recognizing their commitment to supporting survivors and strengthening our community,” a news release notes.
Attendees are asked to bring a $25 donation or $25 Lyft or Uber gift cards for Pillars COmmunity Health Domestic and Sexual Violence Services. The gift cards help survivors access support and services. The organization offers a confidential domestic violence hotline, confidential sexual assault hotline and mental health crisis line. Register under “events” at pillarscommunityhealth.org.
Lemont High stages ‘The Outsiders’
The Lemont High School drama club will bring the classic play “The Outsiders” to life at 7 p.m. Oct. 22-24 in the Performing Arts Center at the school, 800 Porter St.
In addition, the school’s Art Department will host an exhibition in Gallery 306 available to view on performance nights.
The show, which is based on S.E. Hinton’s novel of the same name, takes place in the mid 1960s in Oklahoma and tells the story of a teenage boy caught up in battles between his underprivileged family and friends and the town’s rich kids.
Tickets cost $10 for adults and $8 for students and senior citizens; online tickets, sold at omella.com/isya1, are good for any show, but tickets also will be sold at the door. Free parking is available off Julia Street in the school’s parking garage or the lot by the arts center. Details are at 630-257-5838.
Spooky events set the scene at St. James Farm
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County hosts a pair of seasonal events this month at St. James Farm in Warrenville: a halloween wagon ride from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 22 and a lantern-lit Halloween hike from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 23 and 24.
The 2-mile wagon ride, driven by a tractor on decorated trails, starts with a ghost story and ends with a spooky conversation around a fire. Attendees can catch a ride every 30 minutes. Tickets cost $10 per person for anyone 3 and older and free for those 2 and younger. Anyone younger than 13 must ride with an adult.
The lantern hike, which also starts with a ghost story and ends with a spooky chat around the fire, a self-guided hike on a 2-mile trail. Hikers leave every 15 minutes, with the last group leaving at 7:30 p.m. and the trails closing at 9 p.m. It costs $15 per person and is available to anyone, although those younger than 18 must be with an adult.
The preserve, a former country retreat for the McCormick family, is at 2S541 Winfield Road, just north of Butterfield Road. Sign up for either event at 630-933-7248.
Send news to [email protected].