Frankfort Fall Fest may be over, but fall-event season around the southwest suburbs is just getting started. From Oktoberfest in Homer Glen and Mokena Family Fall Fest to Flossmoor OAKtoberfest, Homewood Fall Fest & Chili Cook-Off, Orland Park's Great Pumpkin Party, New Lenox Fallapalooza, Lemontster Days and Lockport's Family Fall Fest, there is a lot happening between now and Halloween.
Updated September 2026.
If Frankfort Fall Fest left you wanting another excuse to get outside, you're in luck.
Over the next several weeks, communities throughout the southwest suburbs are rolling out fall festivals, Oktoberfest celebrations, Halloween events, hayrides, pumpkin activities and plenty of things for families to do.
Instead of digging through a half-dozen Village and Park District calendars, here are the major dates worth putting on your calendar.
- Sept. 18: Homer Glen Oktoberfest
- Sept. 24: Lemontster Days activities begin
- Oct. 1-4: Mokena Family Fall Fest
- Oct. 2: Tinley Park Fall Fest
- Oct. 2-30: Lockport Hayride of Horror & Curse of the Bayou
- Oct. 3: Flossmoor OAKtoberfest
- Oct. 3: Orland Park Great Pumpkin Party
- Oct. 10: New Lenox Fallapalooza
- Oct. 10: Lemont Harvest Fest
- Oct. 10: Homewood Fall Fest & Chili Cook-Off
- Oct. 12: Lockport Family Fall Fest
Homer Glen Oktoberfest
Friday, September 18, 2026
5:00-8:00 PM
Heritage Park, Homer Glen
Homer Glen wraps up its Food Truck Friday season with an Oktoberfest theme at Heritage Park.
The evening includes food trucks, entertainment and live German music, making this one of the first fall-themed events coming up after Frankfort Fall Fest.
If you're looking for something simple to do Friday night without committing an entire weekend, this is probably the easiest place to start.
Lemontster Days
Beginning September 24 and continuing through October
Various locations throughout Lemont
Lemont doesn't really do one fall event.
It turns most of October into one long Halloween season.
Lemontster Days begins with a Halloween Costume Swap on September 24 and continues with events throughout October.
Among the scheduled activities are the Scarecrow Trail, Halloween decorating contests, downtown trick-or-treating, Boo With the Blue and other community events.
The Forge's Enchanted Adventure also runs from September 25 through November 1, turning the quarry trail into a nighttime walk featuring illuminated pumpkin displays.
One of the bigger community events comes on October 10 with Lemont Harvest Fest at the Park District's Centennial Campus.
Harvest Fest runs from 3:00-6:00 PM and includes trunk-or-treating, live music, food, a beer tent, kids activities and hayrides.
Mokena Family Fall Fest
Thursday-Sunday, October 1-4, 2026
Yunker Farm & The Oaks
10824 La Porte Road, Mokena
If you're looking for one of the bigger multi-day events, Mokena Family Fall Fest is probably the one to circle.
The four-day event includes a carnival, live music, food and beer concessions, kids activities and a Thursday-night showing of Coco.
Carnival hours run across all four days, with unlimited-ride wristband options available on selected dates.
Saturday adds kids activities including a pumpkin patch, face painting, inflatables and scarecrow-making.
Tinley Park Fall Fest
Friday, October 2, 2026
5:00-8:00 PM
McCarthy Park
16801 S. 80th Ave., Tinley Park
Tinley Park's Fall Fest is a shorter Friday-night event centered around McCarthy Park and Tinley Junction Mini-Golf.
The evening includes Ghostly Golf, pumpkin decorating with paid rounds of golf while supplies last, a bonfire, roasted marshmallows, a hayride, petting zoo and spooky stories.
This one makes sense if you want a couple hours of fall activities instead of an all-day festival.
Flossmoor OAKtoberfest
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Daytime: 10:00 AM-1:00 PM at Flossmoor Park
Evening: 4:00-9:00 PM at the South Commuter Lot
Flossmoor's OAKtoberfest is really two events rolled into one day.
The daytime portion at Flossmoor Park focuses on nature and family activities, with a guided tree walk, native plant sale, nature crafts, face painting, a rock-climbing wall and environmental organizations on site.
Then the event shifts downtown for an evening festival in the South Commuter Lot with food and drink vendors, live music, a bags tournament, outdoor college-football viewing and a bonfire if the weather cooperates.
Live music includes ReTurn2Soul at 5:00 PM and Sixteen Candles at 7:00 PM.
Admission is free.
Orland Park Great Pumpkin Party
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Centennial Park
15600 West Ave., Orland Park
Orland Park's Great Pumpkin Party returns to Centennial Park with two sessions:
- 10:00 AM-Noon
- 1:00-3:00 PM
The event is geared toward younger families and includes pony rides, marshmallow roasting, carriage rides, train rides, inflatables, games, a DJ, trunk-or-treat activities and a children's costume contest.
Registration is required. Admission is listed at $7 per person age 3 and older, with children 2 and under free. Registered children also receive a pie-sized pumpkin and goodie bag.
New Lenox Fallapalooza
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Noon-4:00 PM
Village Commons, New Lenox
New Lenox Fallapalooza brings the fall activities into the Village Commons with live music, food, drinks and plenty for kids.
The 2026 event includes live music from Derek Caruso & The Blues Fuse, along with bounce houses, train rides, face painting and pumpkin decorating.
You can also walk around the Commons and check out scarecrows created by local businesses.
Admission and the main activities are free.
The Friends of New Lenox Parks will also host its Empty Bowls fundraiser during the event.
Homewood Fall Fest & Chili Cook-Off
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Noon-9:00 PM
Downtown Homewood - Martin Avenue
Homewood's annual Fall Fest & Chili Cook-Off turns downtown into a full-day fall celebration with live music, local food, craft vendors, family activities and, of course, plenty of chili.
The festival takes over Martin Avenue between Hickory Road and Ridge Road, with face painting, children's crafts, a rock-climbing wall and other activities scheduled throughout the afternoon.
The annual chili competition is one of the bigger traditions. Judging is scheduled from 2:00-3:00 PM, followed by public chili tasting from 3:00-5:00 PM.
A pumpkin patch is scheduled from 4:00-6:00 PM, while live entertainment continues into the evening.
If you want more of a traditional downtown street-festival atmosphere with food, music, vendors and activities for both adults and kids, Homewood gives you another substantial option on an already busy October 10.
Lockport Family Fall Fest
Monday, October 12, 2026
11:30 AM-1:30 PM
Dellwood Park
199 E. Woods Drive, Lockport
Lockport Township Park District's Family Fall Fest includes hayrides through Dellwood Park, a petting zoo, inflatables, face painting, games and Scarecrow Lane.
Admission is listed at $15 per person and registration is required, including selection of a hayride time.
Looking for Something Scarier?
Lockport's Dellwood Park also hosts the Hayride of Horror & Curse of the Bayou Haunted Maze throughout October.
The attractions run on selected Fridays and Saturdays from October 2 through October 30, with additional dates later in the month.
This is obviously a very different experience from pumpkin decorating and petting zoos.
If you want the Halloween side of fall rather than the family-festival side, this is one of the bigger recurring attractions in the area.
What About Frankfort Fall Fest?
Frankfort kicked off the southwest suburbs' fall-festival season over Labor Day weekend.
The 58th Annual Frankfort Fall Festival ran September 5-7 and brought more than 300 artisans, food, entertainment, carnival rides and the annual parade into historic downtown Frankfort.
If you missed it this year or want to bookmark the information for next year, I have a separate complete guide covering the event, parking, schedules and what to expect.
See the Frankfort Fall Fest Guide
Which Fall Festival Should You Pick?
They are all a little different.
If you want a big multi-day carnival and festival, Mokena Family Fall Fest is probably the closest thing to a traditional fall festival on this list.
If you have younger kids, Orland Park's Great Pumpkin Party is specifically built around children's activities.
If you want a mix of nature activities during the day and live music at night, Flossmoor OAKtoberfest gives you both in one Saturday.
If you want more of a downtown street-festival atmosphere with food, music, vendors and a chili cook-off, Homewood Fall Fest & Chili Cook-Off is another strong option.
If you want something free and centered around the community, New Lenox Fallapalooza gives you a lot in a four-hour afternoon.
For a Friday-night stop, Homer Glen Oktoberfest and Tinley Park Fall Fest are easier commitments.
And if you want Halloween activities spread across several weeks instead of one event, Lemontster Days and Lockport's October lineup give you plenty of options.
The Bottom Line
Frankfort Fall Fest may have kicked things off, but fall around here is nowhere near finished.
From late September through Halloween, there is something happening almost every weekend across the southwest suburbs.
I’ll keep this page updated as schedules change or additional events are announced, so bookmark it if you're looking for something to do this fall.
- Homer Glen Oktoberfest is September 18.
- Lemontster Days begins September 24 and continues through October.
- Mokena Family Fall Fest runs October 1-4.
- Tinley Park Fall Fest is October 2.
- Flossmoor OAKtoberfest is October 3 with daytime activities and an evening music festival.
- Orland Park's Great Pumpkin Party is October 3 and requires registration.
- New Lenox Fallapalooza is October 10 and admission is free.
- Lemont Harvest Fest is October 10.
- Homewood Fall Fest & Chili Cook-Off runs noon-9:00 PM on October 10.
- Lockport Family Fall Fest is October 12, with haunted attractions running throughout October.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Mokena Family Fall Fest 2026?
Mokena Family Fall Fest runs Thursday, October 1 through Sunday, October 4, 2026 at Yunker Farm and The Oaks in Mokena.
When is Flossmoor OAKtoberfest 2026?
Flossmoor OAKtoberfest is Saturday, October 3, 2026. Daytime activities run from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Flossmoor Park, followed by an evening festival from 4:00 to 9:00 PM at the South Commuter Lot.
When is New Lenox Fallapalooza 2026?
New Lenox Fallapalooza is Saturday, October 10, 2026 from noon to 4:00 PM at the Village Commons.
When is Homewood Fall Fest & Chili Cook-Off 2026?
Homewood Fall Fest & Chili Cook-Off is Saturday, October 10, 2026 from noon to 9:00 PM in downtown Homewood.
When is Tinley Park Fall Fest 2026?
Tinley Park Fall Fest is Friday, October 2, 2026 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at McCarthy Park.
When is Orland Park's Great Pumpkin Party?
The Great Pumpkin Party is Saturday, October 3, 2026 at Centennial Park. There are two sessions, 10:00 AM to noon and 1:00 to 3:00 PM, and advance registration is required.
Are there fall events in Lemont?
Yes. Lemontster Days includes events throughout late September and October, including the Scarecrow Trail, Halloween activities, downtown trick-or-treating and Harvest Fest on October 10.
Are there fall events in Lockport?
Yes. Lockport Township Park District hosts Family Fall Fest at Dellwood Park on October 12, along with the Hayride of Horror and Curse of the Bayou on multiple dates throughout October.
Is Frankfort Fall Fest still happening?
The 2026 Frankfort Fall Festival was held September 5-7. It traditionally takes place over Labor Day weekend, so it starts the local fall-festival season earlier than most of the events in this guide.
Official Event Sources
- Village of Homer Glen: Food Truck Fridays / Oktoberfest
- Mokena Community Park District: Mokena Family Fall Fest
- Tinley Park-Park District: Fall Fest
- Village of Flossmoor: OAKtoberfest
- Village of Orland Park: Great Pumpkin Party
- Village of New Lenox: Fallapalooza
- Village of Homewood: Fall Fest & Chili Cook-Off
- Village of Lemont: Lemontster Days
- Lockport Township Park District: Family Fall Fest and October events
Event Note: Dates, times, activities, prices and availability can change because of weather, registration limits or organizer updates. Information on this page was compiled from official Village and Park District event information available in September 2026. Check with the event organizer before heading out.