Get into the Halloween spirit at the annual Boo! at the Zoo celebration at Brookfield Zoo. (Courtesy of Chicago Zoological Society)

Guests hop off the train to pick pumpkins during the Fox River Trolley Museum’s pumpkin trolley ride in South Elgin. (Daily Herald file photo by Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com)

Giant pumpkins are a part of the annual Sycamore Pumpkin Fest Oct. 26-30.

Costumed kids enjoy Brookfield Zoo’s Boo! at the Zoo. (Courtesy of Brookfield Zoo)

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Morton Arboretum’s Fall Color Festival: 7 a.m. to sunset daily through Monday, Oct. 31, at the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Trick or Trees from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends in the children’s garden includes games, fall crafts, tree seeds to take home, and small pumpkins to purchase and paint. $9-$14; free for members. (630) 968-0074 or mortonarb.org.

Cosley Zoo Pumpkin Fest: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Monday, Oct. 31, at Cosley Zoo, 1356 N. Gary Ave., Wheaton. Straw pyramid, cornstalk tunnel, and apples, gourds, pumpkins, cider, corn stalks and bales of hay for purchase. $4-$5 zoo admission; free for members and kids 17 and younger. cosleyzoo.org.

Didier Farms Pumpkinfest: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Monday, Oct. 31, at Didier Farms, 16678 Aptakisic Road, Lincolnshire. Hayrides, camel rides, Animal Land Zoo, parakeet exhibit, Pumpkin Playland, pig races and more. Free; some activities require tickets. didierfarms.com/pumpkinfest.

Randall Oaks Fall Festival: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Sunday, Oct. 30, at Randall Oaks Zoo, 1180 N. Randall Road, West Dundee. Hay maze, pumpkins and face painting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for $3-$5. On weekends, bonfire from noon to 5 p.m. and hayrides for $2. Admission: $3.25 for residents, $4 for nonresidents, free for kids younger than 2. (847) 428-7131 or dtpd.org.

Boo! at the Zoo: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at Brookfield Zoo, 8400 W. 31st St., Brookfield. Features not-so-scary activities including trick-or-treat stations, special zoo chats and demonstrations by a professional pumpkin carver. Costume parade at 1 p.m. by the North Mall. Parade is followed by a costume contest. Other highlights include the Haunted Hayride, scarecrow-making, a corn maze and more. Zoo admission is $12.50-$17.85; free for kids 2 and younger. Parking is $11. (708) 688-8000 or czs.org.

CROCtoberfest: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at the Wildlife Discovery Center, 1401 Middlefork Drive, Lake Forest. Meet live reptiles including “Bubba” the alligator, who will be on hand from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Experts will discuss crocodiles and provide close-up encounters with a variety of reptiles. Face painting, food and more. $10 donation. Use the free shuttle bus, which will run every 15 minutes, from the Lake Forest Hospital staff parking lot. (847) 810-3663 or cityoflakeforest.com.

It’s the Great Pumpkin! Hunt: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at Red Oak Nature Center, 2343 S. River St., Batavia. Follow clues and riddles to find the Great Pumpkin. $2 Fox Valley Park District residents, $4 nonresidents. (630) 897-1808 or foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.

JCC Elaine Frank Apachi Day Camp Fall Fest: 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, Oct. 23, at the Lake County Community Campus/JCC Elaine Frank Apachi Day Camp, 23280 N. Old McHenry Road, Lake Zurich. Petting zoo, hayride, “Garoon Gateway to Science,” crafts, mini golf, face painting. $25 a family. jccchicago.org/fallfest.

Blackberry Farm’s Pumpkin Weekends: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays in October at Blackberry Farm, 100 S. Barnes Road, Aurora. Ride the Pumpkin Train, experience the new pumpkin paddle, plus crafts and harvest decor. $4.50-$8; free for kids younger than 2. (630) 892-1500 or foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.

Fright Fest: Opens at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at Six Flags Great America, Six Flags Drive, Gurnee. Daytime hours are family-friendly and include shows and a trick-or-treat trail. In the evenings, the haunted houses will be open. For admission fees, see sixflags.com/greatamerica.

Pumpkin Trolley: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at the Fox River Trolley Museum, 361 S. La Fox St. (Route 31), South Elgin. Ride an old-time electric trolley car to the pumpkin patch. Regular fares are $5, $3 for ages 65 and older, $2 for kids. (847) 697-4676 or foxtrolley.org.

Trunk or Treat: 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at the Round Lake Beach Metra Station parking lot, 600 E. Mallard Creek, Round Lake Beach. Kids can trick-or-treat in a safe environment. Carnival games, jump house, food. Sponsored by Calvary Presbyterian Church. (847) 546-4444 or calvarychurchrl.org.

Next week

HalloweenFest: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, at the Libertyville Sports Complex, 1950 Route 45, Libertyville. For kids 10 and younger. Children are encouraged to wear costumes. Event features a Kids’ Fun Zone, DJ entertainment, indoor train ride, climbing of “Spider Mountain” and more. Advanced registration is $7 for kids; day-of is $10; free for adults. (847) 918-7275 or libertyville.com/recreation.

Great Barrington Area Taste Fest: 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26, Chicago Marriott Northwest, 400 Hoffman Blvd., Hoffman Estates. Taste the signature dishes of dozens of restaurants, microbrewers, wineries and distillers. $30. Register at barrington chamber.com or (847) 381-2525.

55th Annual Sycamore Pumpkin Festival: Wednesday through Sunday, Oct. 26-30, in downtown Sycamore. Hundreds of decorated pumpkins, teen and kiddie carnivals, scary stories, Autumn Craft and Treasures Market and more. Fireworks at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Parade at 1 p.m. Sunday. Free. sycamorepumpkinfestival.com.