Halloween and Fall Festivals Calendar

10/14/2010 Jack Sang

October brings with it the crystal bright colors of the changing leaves - and a bounty of frightful fun and fall festivals. Find something in your area with our guide to Halloween events, Oktoberfest, and more.

"The Lady's Not for Burning," presented by Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre through Oct. 31 at No Exit Cafe, 6970 N. Glenwood, Chicago. Curtain at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 7 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $25. Optional dinner package, $45. Special Halloween party performance at 5 p.m. Oct. 31; $70 ticket includes cocktails, dinner, costume contest, trick-or-treat bags and show. Visit www.theoubique.org or call (773) 347-1109.

Fairy Tale Trail, an alternative Halloween experience for children, will be open from 4-7 p.m. Oct. 29 and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Woman's Club of Evanston, 1702 Chicago Ave., Evanston. Mermaids, princesses, safari guides and other characters welcome children into a maze of eight "rooms," each of which is designed to feature a different children's story or theme. The trail is ideal for children up to age 8, who are encouraged to come in costume. Cost per person (adult or child) is $5; tickets may be purchased at the door. Attendees may also purchase light snacks and refreshments at the Trail's Pumpkin Patch Cafe. For information, visit www.wcofe.org.

Fright Fest at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee is open for its 20th season. The park will be open weekends through the end of October.

The transformation to turn the theme park into a "scream park" finished with more 2,000 corn stalks, seven tons of pumpkins, 300 bales of hay, 200 pounds of blood-red dye, 200 monsters, dozens of corpses and skeletons, and hundreds of rubber snakes, bats, rats, skulls and body parts.

Fright Fest staples like "Tiny," the 200-pound spider, makes his return to the side of the America Eagle coaster as a 500-pound inflatable gorilla begins his climb up SkyTrek Tower.

This year brings the return of several Fright Fest classics including the award-winning show Love at First Fright, Susan Rosen the world-renowned hypnotist, walk-through area Necropolis, haunted house Mausoleum of Terror and scare-free children zone areas including the Character Candy Trail.

New this year, the most successful horror franchise in movie history comes to life at Six Flags in the all-new SAW LIVE haunted house. Master manipulator Jigsaw will test the nerve of all who enter. Come face-to-face with live actors and iconic traps based on scenes from the SAW films.

For hours, pricing and schedule, go to www.sixflags.com

Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. (815) 356-9212. www.rauecenter.org. Oct. 29-30, 7:30 p.m.: "Night of the Living Dead: Royalty Edition," featuring tributes to Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. Ticket price includes a pre-show Halloween party and costume contest. $44, $47, $50.

Chevy Chase Country Club, 1000 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling. Ballroom dancing in the Grand Ballroom, with music by the Dick Elliott Orchestra and dance lesson by Bob and Penny Urbon of BallroomChicago.com. Doors open at 6 p.m.; dance lesson, 7-7:30 p.m.; open dancing, 7:30-10:30 p.m. $13 per person. Call (847) 465-2300. Oct. 27: Swing dancing and Halloween costume party.

Lake County Discovery Museum, located in the Lakewood Forest Preserve, Route 176, west of Fairfield Road, near Wauconda. (847) 968-3400. Admission: $6 adults; $2.50 children 4-17; free for children 3 and younger. Discount Tuesdays: $3 adults; free for those 17 and younger. Oct. 23, 10 a.m.: "History Explorers: Harvests & Hauntings," for children ages 9-11. Hear eerie Lake County stories, play games of divination and learn about Halloween traditions. $5 residents; $7 nonresidents. Includes museum admission. Oct. 27, 10 a.m.: "Small Discoveries: Halloween Traditions & Superstitions," for children ages 2-5, accompanied by an adult. Celebrate Halloween's traditions with stories, games and activities. Costumes encouraged. $6 adult; $2.50 children. Includes museum admission.

Scooter's Halloween Party will be held from 6-9:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Skatium Ice Arena, 9300 Weber Park Place, Skokie, featuring ice skating, a fun fair, storytelling, costume contests and hayrides. For fee and skate rental information, call (847) 674-1500, ext. 2900.

Scream Scene Haunted House, featuring more than 20 rooms, open from 7-10 p.m. Oct. 8-9, 15-16, 22-23 and 29-31 at the Skokie Water Playground, 4701 Oakton St. Not recommended for children under 10. Admission: $8. For information, call (847) 674-1500, ext. 2700, or visit www.ScreamScene.com.