Contributed photo
Contributed photo
From a fang-tastic fair to forest haunts, five fun events are planned for this Halloween season, courtesy of the Village of Westmont, along with tips for a safe trick-or-treating experience for all ages.
Four festivities are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 22, while one is scheduled for Halloween night, Monday, Oct. 31.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 22, downtown Westmont and its Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a free Trick or Treat Trail, when local businesses will offer goodies to participants who arrive in costume.
For this first downtown event, residents are encouraged to bring a canned or dry-goods food item for donation to the local People’s Resource Center (PRC) for their Stuff the Truck Program to help needy families.
From noon to 2 p.m., village residents and visitors can witness the “Caskets on Cass” race, with contenders pushing homemade caskets down Cass Avenue.
Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., the Westmont Environmental Improvement Commission will host its second annual Pumpkin Smashing Extravaganza Competition in the downtown area. Entrants, including local groups and public agencies, will hoist contestants 25 feet in the air via bucket truck to hurl pumpkins at targets on the ground.
After sunset, residents are invited to a Haunted Forest “Asylum” tour at Twin Lakes Woods, located at 200 W. 59th Street. Guides will lead small groups through the woods, where creatures and characters may appear. From 5-6:30 p.m., younger children can enjoy a Merry Monsters Matinee performance in lieu of the haunted tour.
Each tour lasts approximately 10 minutes, with some wait time expected due to this event’s popularity. Attendees are asked to park along 59th Street, at Twin Lakes Golf Club or the Twin Lakes Learning Center.
Finally, from 4:30-7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 31, a Halloween Fun Fair will be held at the Park District Community Center, 75 E. Richmond, followed by a junior-high Halloween dance from 7:30-9 p.m. with a costume contest, prizes, concessions and other fun for middle-schoolers.
To sign up for any events or for more information, including safety tips, contact the Westmont Chamber of Commerce at westmontchamber.com or 630-960-5553.
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