About 400 people attended Winthrop Harbor’s Fall Fest at Village Park on Saturday, according to the Chicago Tribune. The five-hour event, centered at the Schlader Recreation Center, included hayrides, bounce houses, axe-throwing, a skeleton petting zoo, food trucks, live music and face painting. A complimentary Trunk or Treat was also part of the festival.
Children 12 and under needed a $7 wristband to take part in activities; adults entered free, according to the Chicago Tribune. Proceeds went toward the event and Winthrop Harbor Parks and Recreation programming, according to the event listing on eventswh.com.
Trunk or Treat and Festival Attractions
The free Trunk or Treat ran for the first two hours. About 20 decorated cars took part, according to the Tribune. The eventswh.com listing describes Trunk or Treat as a longtime Winthrop Harbor tradition and a family-friendly event for all ages.
A skeleton petting zoo was among the festival’s Halloween attractions, the Tribune reported.
Food and Community Participation
The Point Church of Winthrop Harbor grilled 300 hot dogs for festivalgoers instead of handing out candy, according to the Tribune.
Two-year-old Asher of Lake Villa attended with his grandfather, Winthrop Harbor resident Billy Learsch, according to the same report. North Chicago residents Chao Sanchez and Jesica Solamillo also made the trip out for the festivities.
Local Organizations
The Zion-Benton Public Library also participated, the Tribune reported.
Sixteen-year-old Zoe Schoppe of Wauconda, a Mundelein High School junior who holds the title of Miss Wauconda Area 2026, volunteered at the festival, while 19-year-old Dani Huff of Lindenhurst, who holds the title of Miss Cornerstone 2026, sponsored a table at the event. Auvrey Stofferahn, a 12-year-old seventh-grader from Beach Park, showed up wearing a handmade Minecraft green box mask, rounding out a crowd that leaned into both small-town tradition and Halloween creativity.
The Schlader Recreation Center at Village Park on 9th Street is available for rental, according to Winthrop Harbor Parks and Recreation.
Parks and Recreation Beyond Fall Fest
Winthrop Harbor Parks and Recreation describes its broader role as creating places and opportunities for the community to live, laugh and play, according to the department. That broad mission helps place Fall Fest within its community recreation work; the cited description does not list specific year-round programs or additional facility services.
