Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) — October is in the heart of “Spooky Season.”  And while there are all kinds of Halloween-themed events, those aren’t the only things happening this month!  Take a look.

World Clydesdale Show- Oct. 1-5th.  Celebration of one of the most iconic and beloved horse breeds.  Expect more than 700 exhibitors and more than 400 Clydsdales from the U.S., Canada, Scotland, and Europe.  Coliseum, Illinois State Fairgrounds, 801 E. Sangamon Avenue. 

Boo Crew Haunted House– Fri. and Sat. Oct. 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th, 25, CLOSED HALLOWEEN, and Nov. 1st.  Haunted matinee Oct. 18th.  Children’s matinee Oct. 25th.  Boo Crew is a professional-level haunted house run 100% by volunteers, with all profits going to charity. Their goal each season is to create a unique experience that customers will love, and fear.  boocrew.com.  11083 Buckhart Rd.- Mechanicsburg, IL   

Terror On the Square– Oct. 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th, 25th, 31st and Sat. Nov. 1st.  Step inside an abandoned funeral home that’s stood empty since the 1930s—where ghostly illusions blur the line between reality and nightmare. With spine-tingling effects, immersive detail, and classic scares around every corner, this isn’t your average haunted house.  For times go to terroronthesquare.com.  Petersburg Square.  119 S. 7th St.- Petersburg, IL   

New Salem Candlelight Walk– Oct 3-5- Lincon’s New Salem- New Salem’s October candlelight walk – traditionally a kick-off to the central Illinois fall festival season – will expand to three weekends for 2025 to give visitors more evenings to enjoy the event and to ease congestion at the park.  Dates for this year’s candlelight walk will be Oct. 3-5, Oct. 10-12, and Oct. 17-19. Event hours each night will be 5-7:30 p.m. 

Xtreme Outlaw Midget Showdown– Fri., Oct. 3rd 7pm-10pm and Sat., Oct. 4th 7pm-10pm.  The penultimate weekend of the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets season brings racing action to Jacksonville Speedway, Jacksonville, 110 N. Westgate Ave. 

Beetlejuice Jr.- Oct 3-6, 10-12- Hoogland Center For the Arts- It’s our show now, kid. The ghost-with-the-most comes to the stage in Beetlejuice JR., the frightfully funny musical based on the beloved motion picture turned Broadway phenomenon. Lydia Deetz is a strange and unusual teenager, still grieving the loss of her mother and obsessed with the whole “being dead thing.” Lucky for Lydia, she and her father move to a new house haunted by a recently deceased couple and Beetlejuice, a delightful demon with a real zest for life. When Lydia calls on Beetlejuice to scare away anyone with a pulse, this double-crossing specter shows his true stripes, unleashing a (Nether)world of pandemonium. 

Mt. Auburn Haunted Woods of Creek Hill– Oct. 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th, 25th.  The haunted trail is spread out over almost 10 acres of wooded landscape north of Mt. Auburn, IL. Beautiful by day, the Haunted Woods of Creek Hill take a turn for the worse when night falls. Many thrill seekers have visited the Haunted Woods since tours began in 2011. Hauntedwoodsofcreekhill.com.   3078 County Rd 1550 E, Mount Auburn, IL 

Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show– Oct 4-5- Illinois State Fairgrounds-Orr Building.  The theme for this year’s show is “Rocky Rainbow” There will be dealers, demonstrators, exhibits, kid’s activities, and much more. 

Artisan and Antique Market– Sat., Oct. 4th 9am-4pm.  Shop handcrafted goods and antiques, enjoy delicious eats from local food trucks and listen to live music.  Thebrinkerhoffmansion.com.  Brinkerhoff Mansion.  1500 N. Fifth Street. 

Chillifest 40th Anniversary– Sat., Oct. 4th 9am-6pm and Sun. Oct. 5th 10am-5pm.  A weekend filled with chili cook-offs, live music, pageants, family-friendly activities, taylorvillechamber.com.  FREE.  City of Taylorville.   

Jacksonville Bicentennial Finale– Sat., Oct. 4th 10am.  This celebration only comes around every 200 years.  Event features parades and trolley tours to live music, food trucks, carnival rides and drone show at 8pm.  Jacksonvilleil.org.  FREE.  Downtown Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Central Park. 

Candlelight Walks– Sat., Oct. 4th 7pm.  Experience village life at night.  Period-clothed interpreters will be inside many of the log homes and shops to talk about life in 19th-century Illinois.  Lincoln’s New Salem.  15588 History Lane- Petersburg. 

Echoes of Yesteryear– Sun., Oct. 5th– 12-3:30pm.  A walk through Oak Ridge Cemetery.  Hosted by Sangamon County Historical Society.  FREE.  Oak Ridge Cemetery.  1441 Monument Avenue. 

Underground Railroad Fall Bus Tour– Sun., Oct. 5th 1pm-5pm.  Join tour guides dressed in 19th century attire on a bus to Jacksonville’s Underground Railroad sites.  Tour starts at Illinois College and ends at Woodlawn Farm.  Registration is from 12:30pm to 12:45pm at the McGaw Fine Arts Center lobby.  Tour begins at 1pm and visits eight historical sites. Returns to college by 5pm. Reservations required.  309-678-7716 

Fall Market– Oct 5- Golden Hour Bake House- Celebrate the season with an afternoon full of cozy, creative, and delicious fun! Shop local makers. Enjoy the DIY carmel apple bar. Build your own dried floral arrangement.  

Shoes, Brews, and Biz– Thu., Oct. 9 5pm-8:30pm.  Browse products and services of Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce members, sample horseshoes and craft beer, bid on silent auctions and see Dick Levi’s auto collection.  Call to register for tickets.  Gscc.org.  $25.  LRS Hangar.  820 S. Capital Airport Dr. 

Flannel & Fizz–  Oct 10-  Bomke’s Patch- This event is for big kids ONLY! Please join Bomke’s for their Flannel and Fizz event. This is a 21 and over event! Dress up in your best flannel inspired outfit and join them for an evening of live music, night maze, bonfire, food and drinks. The Grainery Bar and Grill Pleasant Plains, IL will have a bar setup selling beer & seltzers. 

Spencer Theatre Company presents Frankenstein– Oct 10-12, 17-19- Hoogland Center For the Arts- Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein’s bewildered creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. Meeting with cruelty wherever he goes, and increasingly desperate and vengeful, he determines to track down his creator and strike a terrifying deal. 

Illinois Product Fall Market– Oct 11- The Shed- Illinois State Fairgrounds- This special fall edition of the Illinois Product Farmers Market is brimming with pumpkins, gourds, apples, and all kinds of other seasonal favorites. Live music, food trucks, and wine and beer selections also will be available. 

Fall Harvest Festival- Oct 11-12- Lincoln Memorial Garden- SOMETHING FUN FOR EVERYONE AT FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL!  Enjoy live music, kids’ activities, vendors and more! 

Carve For the Carillon– Oct 11-12- Washington Park at the Carillon- Bring your kids, family, friends, or any group to this fun, family-friendly event to help scoop & carve the 2,000+ pumpkins that will light the way for annual Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular the following week.  They supply the pumpkins (WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!) and some carving tools. 

Harvest Days at The Gables– Oct 16-18- The Gables in Springfield- Don’t miss this fabulous line up to kick off the fall season!  Thursday: Ghouls Night Out Friday: Sales & Specials at Select Gables Merchants Saturday: Touch-a-Truck, Trick-or-Treating 1-2:30pm, & Kids Costume Contest 

Scout-O-Ween– Oct 16- Get ready for spooky fun and Scout-style adventure at Scout-O-Ween, hosted by the Abraham Lincoln Council! This FREE event is open to all children and families—you don’t have to be a Scout to join in the fun!  SCHEELS.  3801 S. MacArthur Blvd.  217-529-2727 

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular– Oct 17-18- The annual Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular was founded by former Rees Carillon Society Board Member Brenda Poston. The event is inspired by the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular in Providence, Rhode Island – featuring the talents of professional artists only. Springfield’s event differs in that everyone is invited–from students, individuals, families and artists–from the community to participate and carve their own pumpkin at Carve for the Carillon (the second weekend each October). The following Friday and Saturday, more than 2,000 illuminated hand-carved jack-o-lanterns are displayed around the Carillon and the Washington Park Botanical Garden – showcasing carving talents of area residents, artists and local students. Springfield’s events are participatory, and family focused. JOLS features special Carillon music, lighting, and food vendors.   

HalloThankMas Artisan Market– Oct 18-  Orr Building-  Illinois State Fairgrounds-   Discover a variety of local artisans, crafters, and businesses offering handmade goods, unique gifts, and more. The Grinch will visit from Mount Crumpit. Santa will visit from the North Pole for a day to take pictures with the kiddos. 

Oak Ridge Cemetery Tree Tour and Eco Fair– Oct 18- Oak Ridge Cemetery-  Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield is filled with history…including the thousands of trees that grace the grounds. Some of them can be traced back to Lincoln’s time and before, while hundreds of others have been propagated from historic and rare trees from around the temperate world.  Take a tour of the great trees at Oak Ridge, a National Living Landmark site recognized by the US Government. Guides will tell their stories during the Grand Valley Tree Tour.  An Eco Fair event includes activities, arts and crafts, science and discovery projects and lots of education of local history and trees!   This is an event of The Oak Ridge Cemetery Foundation.  3 hours of certified arborist CEU’s are available. 

Rochester Fall Festival– Sat., Oct. 18th 9am-3pm.  This annual event will feature craft vendors, food trucks and more followed by a movie in the park from 5pm-8pm.  Rochester Community Park.  Rochester.  90 Wild Rose Lane.  217-498-7192 

Boo Bark Howl-o-ween– Sat., Oct. 18th 11am-2pm.  Canine costume contest., pumpkin painting and vendors and more.  Proceeds benefit APL.  Animal Protective League.  1001 Taintor Road.  Springfield.  217-544-7387 

Zoolie Ghoulie- Oct 24-25- Henson Robinson Zoo- Grab your little ghouls and goblins and have a wildly good time as you wander through the zoo’s spectacularly spooky Halloween scenes for safe trick-or-treating.  Costume contest each night.  $5.  2 and younger are free.  1100 E. Lakeshore Drive.  217-585-1821. 

Monster Mash Halloween Dance– Oct 24- Erin’s Pavilion- Come in your Halloween costume for thrills and fun. Enjoy refreshments, treat bags, face painting, and a costume contest. 

Little Shop of Horrors– Oct 24-26, Oct 31-Nov 2- Hoogland Center For the Arts-  The Hoogland Center for the Arts is excited to present Little Shop of Horrors on October 24-26 and October 31-November 2 in the LRS Theatre. The show will be directed by Joe-Michael Jackson and Ginny Racette.  A theatrical classic that has captivated audiences for over three decades, Little Shop of Horrors remains one of the most popular and enduring musicals in theatre and film history. Created by the legendary Howard Ashman and Alan Menken – the creative forces behind Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin – Little Shop of Horrors combines outrageous humor, unforgettable music, and a thrilling storyline that continues to delight audiences around the world. 

The Parent Place of Springfield 8th Annual Halloween Parade presents by HSHS St. John’s Hospital– Oct 25th  6:30pm- downtown Springfield-  The Parent Place is hosting its 8th Annual Halloween Parade in downtown Springfield on 5th and 6th Streets. Families will line the street as floats, children and other special Halloween guests parade the streets!  Watch for festive floats and entries in this lighted evening parade! The Route is Jefferson to 5th St., Monroe to 6th St. to Washington. 

Fall Festival–  Sat., Oct. 25th 10am-4pm.  Period clothed interpreters will demonstrate daily tasks such as candle dipping, soap making, and more.  Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site, Petersburg.  15588 History Lane.  217-632-4000 

Something Wicked Festival–  Sat., Oct. 26th  11am-5pm.  Features local artists, writers, vendors, and entertainment.  Costumes encouraged.  Free treat bags for first 100 children.  Adults $5, children 12 and under FREE.  Route 66 Hotel and Conference Center, 624 E St. Joseph St. 

Neon Rodeo-  DFV Halloween Party-  Fri., Oct 31-  Danenberger Family Vineyards-  New Berlin-  Enjoy a night of all your favorite 90s Country hits with Neon Rodeo live at Danenberger Vineyards. Celebrate Halloween in style.