Check out these delightfully frightening haunted houses in northern Illinois, guaranteed to bring the scares this season.

Witches Night Out is set for Thursday, Oct. 9 in downtown Sycamore.

Performances run Oct. 10-12 at the Sandwich Opera House.

All Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra concerts are held in the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall, in the Northern Illinois University Music Building. The season opens Oct. 11

The Illinois Valley has several haunted tours that explore the supernatural this Halloween season.

The self-proclaimed Bozologist — he’s written the book on Bozo — has taken his massive collection of toys, merchandise, research, and historical ephemera and put it in one place in downtown Elgin.

Looking for an outdoorsy getaway this season? Check out these four destinations in northern Illinois.

The DeKalb County Rehabilitation and Nursing Center will host a trunk-or-treat event for children to go trick-or-treating.

Experience some real-life haunts at the historic Egyptian Theatre in downtown DeKalb on Friday, Oct. 10.

The DeKalb County History Center will partner with the Ellwood House Museum to host the second part of its “Dessert and Dialogue” discussion series.

Watch football and baseball playoff games at one of these lively sports bars in northern Illinois.

NIU's Homecoming Parade and Block Party is from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2 in downtown DeKalb.

Downtown DeKalb has a new spot for steaks and other food, after Florentino’s Charhouse opened this month.

Looking for something fun to do in DeKalb County this season? Check out this list of family-friendly events.

Based on the comic strip by Harold Gray, “Annie” won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and features well-known songs such as “Tomorrow.”

KVAL’s “Things I Love About DeKalb County” juried art show’s artist reception and awards ceremony is Oct. 3. That, glass blowing demonstrations and other programming await in October at the Kishwaukee Valley Art League in Sycamore.

Check out these fantastic fall festivals in Sycamore, St. Charles, Utica, Aurora and more.

These northern Illinois pumpkin farms are ready to welcome guests for a day of family-friendly fall fun.

The DeKalb County History Center will host its annual “Etched in Stone” Cemetery Walk, touring a local cemetery next month.

For the entire month, wine lovers are encouraged to host small, casual get-togethers to celebrate their love of wine.

Fall is in the air and so is the season’s latest Back Alley Market, a downtown DeKalb shopping experience featuring more than 150 area vendors on Saturday.

The Egyptian Theatre will host "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" with a live shadow cast on Friday, Sept. 26.

This year's selections include 'The Lost Boys,' 'Night of the Living Dead' and more.

From wine tastings to historic tours, Galena is the perfect destination for a quick weekend getaway.

The Egyptian Theatre will host a performance of the World Ballet Company’s “The Great Gatsby Ballet” as part of the company’s fall 2025 tour.

‘Lincoln’s Ottawa: Stories from Valley View’ take guests on a tour of several historic sites in the Illinois Valley related to Abraham Lincoln.

Grammy-winning guitarist Cody Kilby will perform at the Sandwich farm's open air venue Saturday, Sept. 27 with Dre Anders and the Gibson Brothers.

The Napa Valley winery is known for high quality Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The fall events include October's Roots & Wine Dinner and November's Friendsgiving Farm Dinner.

While many Oktoberfest celebrations happen in September, here's a list of German-themed beer festivals happening in October.

The DeKalb Public Library will hold a concert featuring pianist Chris Prola.

Try the Mega Hike at Starved Rock State Park.

The DeKalb Public Library will partner with the DeKalb Park District to hold a Stone Soup Shakespeare performance of “Love’s Labour’s Lost." on Sunday.

The DeKalb Public Library will hold a classical concert featuring guitarist David Rogers on Friday.

STEM Fest is set for Saturday on the NIU campus, and Wine on the Terrace is Saturday evening at the Ellwood House Museum.

The night of comedy will dive into the hilarious realities of motherhood, midlife, marriage, dating and everything in between.

Northern Illinois University will host its 16th annual STEM Fest featuring past, present, and future technology on Sept. 20 in DeKalb.

The Stage Coach Players will open its next production, the musical “Next to Normal,” on Sept. 11. The musical is scheduled to run for two weeks. “Next to Normal” tells the story of the effect of a mother’s bipolar disorder on her family.

The fundraiser features wine and craft beer tastings, food, and live music.

The Lions Club Cookie Crawl is Saturday, Sept. 13 and the Sycamore Chalk Walk is also Sept. 13.

National touring artists Orianthi, Buckcherry and Dishwalla will perform at The Dixon Theatre this fall.

The 2025 corn maze at Richardson Adventure Farm in Spring Grove celebrates the 40th anniversary of the classic film "Back to the Future."

The Sycamore Lions Club will hold a cookie crawl to support Sycamore-area families fighting pediatric cancer.

West coast winemaker Dave Merfeld of Northstar Winery continues to promote Merlot, the often-maligned wine varietal.

From the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival to Christmas events, DeKalb County brings the fun this fall and winter.

The fall months bring several craft beer festivals throughout northern Illinois.

One option for those looking for some family-friendly fun outdoors this weekend is the annual Genoa Volksfest, a three-day festival featuring a rubber duck race along the Kishwaukee River, a beer and wine festival, wrestling and more.

The Sandwich Fair runs through Sunday, Sept. 7, and the DeKalb Kite Fest is also set for Sept. 7 at Kiwanis Park.

Illinois' oldest continuing county fair returns this week with a packed schedule.

The Indian Valley Theatre will hold melodrama performances of “Ghosts and Gold” and “Tillie the Teller” at the Sandwich Fair.