Which Saturday in October should you keep clear in Lemont? The village's Lemontster Days schedule runs from a costume swap in late September to porch lights on Halloween. Most of it is spread out at an easy one-event-per-weekend pace. October 10 is the exception. That day packs a ghost walk, a fun run, Harvest Fest, a paranormal session and a live radio show into about eight hours, at four different spots around town.
Underneath all of it, The Forge: Lemont Quarries runs its pumpkin trail every Thursday through Sunday night until November 1. The trail sets the season's steady rhythm, and October 10 is where everything else crowds into the same day. Planning the month mostly comes down to treating those two things differently.
The Trail That Is Open Four Nights a Week
The Forge Enchanted Adventure, billed in full as "An Evening of Pumpkin Monsters, Magic, and Mischief," opened September 25 at 227 Heritage Quarries Drive. Shaw Local describes a half-mile walking loop through three zones, built from what it calls thousands of intricately designed pumpkins.
- Monsters has a 16-foot-wide Kraken made of stacked pumpkins, a 16-foot Troll, a Zombie Graveyard and a giant Web Crawler spider.
- Magic has a bubbling Cauldron that gives off colored smoke, a Magic Mushroom patch, floating Witches and a Pumpkin Stonehenge 30 feet across.
- Mischief is the comedy zone, with a Pumpkin Catapult Crew, a Pie Machine Chase, and pumpkin tricksters pulling Dracula's fangs or unwrapping a startled mummy.
Tickets are $25.24 for teens and adults and $16.15 for ages 3 to 12, according to Patch's preview from August 24. Parking is free. The Forge says strollers and wagons are welcome on its ADA-accessible crushed-limestone paths. It also says the full loop takes about an hour, longer if you stop for photos. The evening also includes live pumpkin carving and seasonal food and drinks.
The Kidlist event listing posts 6:30 to 10 p.m. for its dates, including Thursday, October 1, Saturday, October 3 and Saturday, October 31. It's still smart to check before you head out.
The schedule makes the trail the easiest piece of the month to fit in. It runs on 23 nights, including Saturday, October 31, so Halloween night itself is an option once trick-or-treating ends. That flexibility matters most on the one day when everything else is fighting for the same hours.
October 10, Hour by Hour
Here's how the day lines up, based on the Village's Lemontster Days page and the Lemont Historical Society's listing for its Spirits of the Limestone series.
- 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. The Downtown Lemont Ghost Story Walk, $20, meets at the Metra train station lot. Metra lists the station at 101 Main St.
- 2:00 p.m. The Lemont Juniorettes' Monster and Me Mile Fun Run starts on the Heritage Trail at the Lemont Township Community Center. Strollers are welcome, and Anytime Fitness provides water and snacks. The $10 registration deadline was September 26, so email the Juniorettes before you show up.
- 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Harvest Fest fills the Lemont Park District's Centennial Campus. It's free. The Yacht-Rockettes play, and there's a beer tent, hay rides, a pie eating contest, and trunk-or-treat from 3 to 5. The food court lists C&K Smokehouse, Dig's on McCarthy featuring Gelsosomo's Pizza, Mama D's, Tacos Giselle, Nova Tea and Creamery Ice Cream.
- 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Ghostly Voices with Nicole Tito, $20. The Historical Society describes it as an investigation of the Old Stone Church that looks at spirit communication and the equipment used for it.
- 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The WLMT Dead Air Radio Show, $20, is a live mock radio show in the style of the 1930s and '40s, performed inside the Old Stone Church. It's for the audience in the room and won't be broadcast.
- After dark. The Forge trail is open, since Saturday is one of its four nights.
The overlaps make the choice for you. The ghost walk ends downtown right when the fun run starts at the Township trail. Harvest Fest's trunk-or-treat window, 3 to 5, is the same two hours as the Old Stone Church session. A family that wants trunk-or-treat at Centennial Campus will miss Ghostly Voices, and anyone at Ghostly Voices will miss trunk-or-treat.
So the day splits into two tracks. The Historical Society track stays downtown and costs $50 for an all-access pass to all three Spirits of the Limestone events, $10 less than buying them one at a time. The family track runs from the fun run to Harvest Fest and finishes at The Forge after dark. The Historical Society's checkout page currently shows "Sold out" next to its event options without saying which events are full. Confirm a seat before you build your afternoon around one.
The Rest of the Month, at a Normal Pace
Outside October 10, the calendar settles into about one main event per weekend, with weeknight programs at the Lemont Public Library, 50 E. Wend Street.
| Date | Event | Where | Cost or note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Oct 3 | Fire District Open House, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Fire Station One, 15900 New Ave. | Live demos, meet firefighters |
| Sun, Oct 4 | Fall on Canal, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Front Street along the I&M Canal | $5 ages 12 and up |
| Through Oct 18 | Scarecrow Trail voting, "Stars, Stripes & Scarecrows" | Along the trails | Cash prizes by category |
| Wed, Oct 21 | Morbid History: Murder Mystery Edition, 7 p.m. | Lemont Public Library | Registration |
| Thu, Oct 22 | Wicked FX makeup with GlamBat Studios, 6 p.m. | Lemont Public Library | Ages 10 and up |
| Fri, Oct 23 | Boo with the Blue, 4 to 6 p.m. | Lemont Police Department, 14600 127th St. | Free |
| Sat, Oct 24 | Lemontster Trick-or-Treating, noon to 2 p.m. | Downtown businesses, plus Peterson Park | Free |
| Tue, Oct 27 | Halloween Bingo and Costume Contest, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Lemont Township Community Center, 16300 Alba St. | $10, RSVP by Oct 20 |
| Thu, Oct 29 | Hammer: House of Horror, 7 p.m. | Lemont Public Library | Registration |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Trick-or-treat hours, 3 to 6:30 p.m. | Villagewide | Porch light on to welcome visitors |
Fall on Canal is the biggest daytime crowd outside October 10. Mabel's Market is hosting 70-plus vendors selling vintage, handmade and boutique goods. The market runs rain or shine, with entrances at Front Street, Ed Bossert Drive and the canal footbridge. The Patch event listing says free parking is available throughout downtown and in the Metra lot.
The Scarecrow Trail marks the USA's 250th anniversary this year, with cash prizes for Best Youth Project, Best Family Project and Best Business/Group Project. Details are on the Lemont Junior Woman's Club scarecrow page. The Lemont Park District's Halloween House Decorating Contest is open to Lemont residents 18 and older. Homes need to be decorated, with one photo emailed to [email protected], by October 23, and winners will be announced by October 29.
All month, the Hope and Friendship Foundation's "Treat or Treat" drive collects pantry staples like canned meals, cereal, peanut butter and paper goods. There are drop bins inside the Lemont Police Department entry and by the Jewel customer service counter.
Where to Eat Between Events
Both of the busiest daytime events start downtown. The ghost walk leaves from the Metra lot at the foot of Main Street, and Fall on Canal sets up on Front Street. That puts most pre-event and post-event meals within a few blocks.
Main Street, closest to the Metra lot: Folklore Coffee at 214 Main St. has a globally inspired seasonal drink menu. Barrel & Vine at 206 Main St. serves seafood and seasonal dishes. Nick's Tavern at 221 Main St. covers grilled cheese and fish sandwiches. Pollyanna Social at 326 Main St. pours spirits distilled at Pollyanna's St. Charles facility and doesn't serve food, so plan for that if you're stopping there after the radio show.
Stephen Street, a sit-down row: Corner Stone Tavern at 103 Stephen St., La Dolce Vita at 107, Moreno's Mexican Restaurant at 113, Wok'd at 116 and Hughie McClafferty's at 118 sit within a block of each other. Wooden Paddle's wood-fired pizza is at 212 Stephen St.
Canal, Front and Illinois, for Fall on Canal: Neima Coffee & Cafe at 317 Front St. has Spanish lattes and cheesecakes right on the market's street. Bonita Bowls at 225 Canal St. serves smoothie and poke bowls. Canal Street Pub at 309 Canal St. has beer and pool tables. The Creamery at 400 E. Illinois St. serves loaded shakes and loaded hot cocoas. The Bakery Box at 315 E. Illinois St. is a 24/7 dessert vending shop stocked daily with cakes, cheesecakes and tiramisu. It's also the one downtown stop still open after a late night at The Forge.
One Front Street storefront is still in transition. Next Mex closed at 319 Front St. last November after 15 years. In June, WhatNow reported a new concept called Palmyra for the space, with a late-fall opening expected and no firm date yet.
The Village asks residents to check the Lemontster Days schedule often, because details get updated as they come in. The Village of Lemont's Lemontster Days page is the one to bookmark before October 10.
Weekends like October 10 are a big part of what makes a Lemont address feel like home, and our team pays attention to the local calendar all year. If you're wondering what your home is worth this fall, Community Connections Group is glad to help. Connect Now — Get Your Free Home Valuation.
