Mid-October is peak fall around Bartlett — and the season's biggest weekends are still ahead: craft fairs, a ghost train, trunk-or-treats, and the village-wide Halloween parade. Here are the remaining highlights, all within Bartlett or a short drive.
The 20th annual craft fair at Bartlett High School brings 140+ vendors, food trucks, and raffle prizes, with proceeds supporting the school's fine arts boosters. Free admission; donations encouraged. A good early start on holiday shopping.
The Bartlett Park District's family Fall Fest at the Nature Center — an easy morning outing with the kids, pairing nicely with the craft fair happening the same day.
A sustainability-minded craft and vendor fair from the Bartlett Park District, focused on eco-friendly and handmade goods — a nice complement to the bigger fairs the same weekend.
The museum's Ghost Train rides to a haunted forest preserve for campfire ghost stories — pick the family-friendly tales or the spookier paranormal session — with s'mores and hot chocolate. A short drive south to South Elgin.
The Hanover Park Park District's annual trunk-or-treat: kids trick-or-treat from decorated trunks and can enter the costume contest — an easy warm-up for Halloween weekend, just east of Bartlett.
Bartlett's signature Halloween event: a costume parade stepping off from Village Hall at 10 AM, followed by trick-or-treating along Bartlett Ave, through downtown, and at the Streets of Bartlett. Expect a big costumed crowd — it draws over a thousand residents most years.
Craft-fair season runs past Halloween. The Harvest at the Hollow Craft and Vendor Fair returns to Hawk Hollow Middle School on Saturday, November 14 — a good option for getting a head start on holiday gifts without driving into the city. Later in the month, Santa's Trolley Express starts running at the Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin (from November 28) as the season turns to the holidays. As always, confirm dates with the organizers as November approaches.
Not everything great in October has a date and a ticket link. A few no-calendar-needed ideas:
A note on dates: event details were verified in mid-October 2026, but times, admission, and venues can change. Confirm with the organizer — the Bartlett Park District, Arts in Bartlett, or the event host — before heading out, especially for the ticketed and registration-required events. For what's on this week, the Bartlett events calendar is refreshed daily, and Halloween has its own guide: trick-or-treat hours, events, and pumpkin patches.
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