Barrington-specific Halloween listings were not included in the materials provided to this newsroom. According to the supplied event listings from Elgin-area organizers, however, nearby communities are rolling out a full slate of parades, parties, races and cultural celebrations now through the first weekend of November.

What’s happening nearby

Art, film, music and a signature 5K anchor the calendar. “Something Wicked” is running now through Sunday, Oct. 26, in the gallery at Side Street Studio Arts, 15 Ziegler Court, Elgin. The free exhibit features works from 55 artists “whose subject matter is meant to instill a combined sense of wonder, awe, and perhaps a little dread,” according to its website. An opening reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3.

On Friday, Oct. 24, First Congregational Church, 256 E. Chicago St., Elgin, will screen the 1925 silent film The Phantom of the Opera alongside the animated short Koko’s Haunted House, starting at 7 p.m. The show features live pipe organ accompaniment performed by Ben Model.

The second annual El Trote De Las Calacas (The Skeleton Trot) 5K race and walk steps off at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, from a course that begins and ends at Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin. According to the supplied listing, race registration closes Friday, Oct. 3, and the public is welcome to watch in person or on the library’s Facebook page. The running of the skeletons will include giant puppets, live music and food. After the race, the El Trote Marketplace Festival opens at 10 a.m. inside the library.

Family-friendly offerings

Several attractions are billed as suitable for all ages, with a mix of spooky and sweet:

  • Ghost Story Train rides at the Fox River Trolley Museum, 365 S. LaFox St., South Elgin, depart at 5, 6:15 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 11, 18 and 25. Tickets are $20 per person. The rides are described as family-friendly and suitable for all ages.
  • Dark Hollows Haunted Hayride and Haunted Lantern Hike at Three Fires Council/Scouting America’s Camp Big Timber, 37W955 Big Timber Road, Elgin, offer registerable time slots from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 11, Oct. 18, Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, and Fridays, Oct. 17, Oct. 24 and Oct. 31. Tickets are $18.27 and $26.90.
  • Halloween Boo Bash runs 4 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, on the lawn outside Gail Borden Public Library’s Rakow Branch, 2751 W. Bowes Road, Elgin. The free costume party features a pumpkin carving demonstration, games and crafts.
  • Boo Thru, a reverse trunk-or-treat at Randall Oaks Park, 1180 N. Randall Road, West Dundee, takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17. Participants drive through a family-friendly haunted trail to collect candy at scheduled times. The event is free, but registration is required.

A packed Saturday, Oct. 25

The calendar crescendos Saturday, Oct. 25, with options across the Dundee area, Sleepy Hollow and downtown Elgin:

  • A 5K Costumed Fun Run, Mini Monster Dash and trunk-or-treating are set for 9 a.m. to noon at Carpenter Park, 275 Maple Ave., Carpentersville. Registration for the race, which begins at 9 a.m., is $20. The free, family-friendly dash starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by trunk-or-treating.
  • West Dundee Halloween Party runs noon to 3 p.m. at Grafelman Park, 112 N. Fifth St. The free event features kids’ activities, a trunk-or-treat, costume contest, fall refreshments, pumpkin decorating and a donation drive for the FISH Food Pantry.
  • Halloween in the Hollow goes from 3 to 10 p.m. at Sabatino Park, 145 Thorobred Lane, Sleepy Hollow. The free lineup includes a costume parade, pumpkin decorating, hayrides, a chili cooking contest, concessions and a bonfire. The Headless Horseman appears at the end.
  • Dundee Township Park District’s Dia de los Muertos Celebration will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Rakow Center, 665 Barrington Ave., Carpentersville. A community ofrenda will be on display and there will be games, crafts, live music, entertainment, face painting, food trucks and vendors. Tickets are $2, with a limit of five per family.
  • Nightmare on Chicago Street — a downtown Elgin street party centered around a fictitious zombie apocalypse — takes place from 6 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $35 online and $40 at the gate. VIP passes cost $80.

Cultural celebrations and ofrendas

Ofrendas and cultural programming span late October into November. Ofrenda comunitaria del Día de Muertos, a Day of the Dead exhibit, will be open at Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin, from Thursday, Oct. 23, through Thursday, Nov. 6, with an opening reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in the library’s Meadows Community Rooms. A Día de los Muertos ofrenda will also be on display from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 27, through Monday, Nov. 3, in the E. Max von Isser Gallery of Art, Building B, Bookstore Hallway at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive.

The context pack supplied with these listings notes that Elgin’s population is about 110,000 and roughly 35% is Hispanic, and that culturally resonant events such as Día de los Muertos have seen increased participation in recent years. Those demographics help explain the breadth of programming tied to remembrance, art and family.

Parades, police-hosted fun and a zoo finale

Dundee Library, 555 Barrington Ave., East Dundee, will host a Halloween Parade from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27. The event is free, but children must be accompanied by adults. Family Lego Challenge: Halloween Edition takes place there from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, and is free for children 5 and older accompanied by an adult.

The Elgin Police Department Halloween Extravaganza will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, outside police headquarters, 151 Douglas Ave. The free event will feature family fun, music, community resources, a haunted house, trick-or-treating, snacks and a costume contest for kids 12 and younger.

Boo at the Zoo closes out the season from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 1–2, at Randall Oaks Zoo, 1180 N. Randall Road, West Dundee. Children can trick-or-treat all day, with costume parades at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Practical details for attendees

The supplied materials list month/day dates but do not consistently specify the year. Many listings include start times, admission or registration costs and whether events are free, but attendance estimates, safety protocols and accessibility specifics were not included. The synthesizer accompanying these materials underscores those gaps and suggests confirming current-year schedules, capacity and any registration requirements before committing to a plan.

For Barrington readers weighing the nearby options, the breadth of family-friendly programming — from train rides and hayrides to parades, art and film — offers ample ways to celebrate. The context pack notes that suburban Halloween events have seen attendance increases of roughly 20% to 30% in recent years, a trend that often translates into busy weekends at marquee happenings. Planning ahead for the dates above should help families make the most of an autumn calendar that, while centered in Elgin and neighboring towns, is close enough to feel like part of the region’s shared season.