Halloween the focus of Glen Ellyn Park District’s October events

Save the dates for the October lineup of events brought to you by the Glen Ellyn Park District in October.

Grandparents and Me Day at the Lake: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 9. Lake Ellyn Boathouse, 645 Lenox Road. Grandparents and grandchildren ages 3-12 can create memories exploring Lake Ellyn Park in this intergenerational outdoor experience. Participate in art and craft activities at the boathouse, then explore the outdoors with a hike or nature scavenger hunt. Enjoy boating or fishing at the lake. Fishing participants must bring their own fishing pole. Bait will be provided. Snacks and refreshments will also be on hand. Each grandchild must be registered and accompanied by an adult. Adults do not need to register. Visit gepark.org/register.

Family Bingo Night: 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 13. Ackerman Sports & Fitness Center, 800 St. Charles Road. Spend an evening at Ackerman SFC with bingo, pizza and prizes. Several rounds of bingo will be played starting at 5:30 p.m. Prizes will be awarded at the end of each round. Registration is not required. $1 per card. Children ages 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Drop in any time.

Home Run Derby: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 14. Ackerman Park, 800 St. Charles Road. Join us for a home-run hitting competition. Each participant will receive 10 pitches to showcase their power. The top 50% of those 10 pitches will advance to the next round until the championship showdown featuring the top three home run hitters. Two divisions include youth ages 6-17 and adult. Snacks will be available for purchase. The event is free to watch, but participants in the competition must register. Visit gepark.org/register.

OAKtoberfest: 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 14, Maryknoll Park, 845 Pershing Road. Learn about oak trees while enjoying family-friendly activities such as taking a guided nature walk, attempting an acorn toss and working on a tree art project. Two Hound Red will have an Oaktoberfest beer available for purchase. Attendees will also be able to try out platform tennis (first come, first serve). Equipment and brief instruction included. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free admission. No registration required. Co-hosted by Go Green Glen Ellyn. Visit gepark.org/calendar.

October Blood & Food Drive: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 17, Ackerman Sports & Fitness Center, 800 St. Charles Road. Take part in the Glen Ellyn Park District’s blood and food drive. Donate nonperishable food items and toiletries to help fill the shelves at Glen Ellyn Food Pantry. Appointments are recommended for blood donations, but walk-ups are welcome. Visit gepark.org/drives for details.

Shot in the Dark: 7:30 to 9 p.m.O ct. 20. Holes & Knolls, 845 Pershing Ave. Play a nighttime round of mini-golf with glow-in-the-dark golf balls. All ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. No registration required. $10 per person at the door.

Macabre Masters Mini Golf Tournament: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 21. Holes & Knolls, 845 Pershing Ave. Get ready for a spine-tingling Halloween mini-golf tournament exclusively for ages 21+. As you putt your way to victory, quench your thirst with a selection of craft beers from Two Hound Red (two beers are included in the registration fee). Dress up in your most creative costumes, as prizes will be awarded to the best-dressed golfers. Register your own foursome of golfers for a shotgun-start style scramble. Individual golfers will be paired up with other golfers to form foursomes at the beginning of the event. Visit gepark.org/register.

Ackerman Haunted Trail: 4 to 9 p.m. Oct. 26- 27. Ackerman Park, 800 St. Charles Road. Take a walk along a haunted trail full of creepy creatures, scary sounds and bone-chilling scenes. Come anytime between 4 and 9 p.m. The walk will take about 10 minutes. The trail will be less scary from 4 to 6 p.m. and geared toward older children from 6 to 9 p.m. Before or after your adventure, enjoy Halloween-themed games or purchase refreshments. All adults and children over the age of 3 walking the trail must register and pay the $5 fee. Visit gepark.org/register.

Pumpkins on Main: Saturday, Oct. 28 to Oct. 31. Main Street Recreation Center, 501 Hill Ave. Carve a pumpkin at home and submit it to be part of the park district’s community jack-o’-lantern display during Halloween weekend. Pumpkins will be showcased, and you could win prizes. Bring carved jack-o’-lanterns to Main Street Recreation Center between 9 a.m. and noon Oct. 28. Carvers must register to participate by Oct. 27. Visit Main Street Recreation Center from the evening of Oct. 28 through Oct. 31 to enjoy a display of jack-o’-lanterns carved by your friends and neighbors. Visit gepark.org/register.

The Glen Ellyn Park District is located at 185 Spring Ave. in Glen Ellyn. For more information, visit gepark.org/ or call 630-858-2462.