Fun Halloween Ideas for Families

The day of candy comas, homemade costumes, and frightful haunted houses is near. Kids love Halloween so, and each year their infectious enthusiasm seems to carry over to more adults too. I’ll forego the blood, gore and scary movies in favor of fun activities kids and adults can enjoy. Here’s a list of my favorites:

10/23-10/31 (Weekends) Dino Nites, Brookfield Zoo - Entry to Dinosaurs Alive! , Spooky Tram Rides, Giant Corn Maze, slithering snakes, toothy alligators, and bats. Tasty seasonal foods, cookie decorating, and pumpkin painting. www.brookfieldzoo.org

10/30 Ghost Stories featuring Dan Keding and Janice Del Negro, Prairie Center for the Arts - Traditional world folktales, personal narratives of Chicago, ghost stories and dark tales, and superbly crafted original pieces. www.prairiecenter.org

10/31-11/1 Masquerade Ball, Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament – Costumes welcome, dancing, meet & greet with the cast, all seats $29.85; www.medievaltimes.com

10/1-11/1 (Weekends) Brick or Treat, Legoland Discovery Center - LEGO haunted trail, a pumpkin made of over 5,000 LEGO bricks and other spooktacular LEGO models. www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com

10/1-11/1 (Weekends) Goebbert’s Fall Family Festival, Goebbert’s Pumpkin Farm – Pony, camel, & hay rides, petting zoo, haunted house, pig racing, cornstalk maze, sweet shop, kettle corn, roasted corn, fall harvest market, and pumpkins! http://www.pumpkinfarms.com/

-Amanda, 32, Carpentersville, IL

Come to Westwood, We’ll Save you a Place at the Tap!

A familiar Schaumburg location reinvented itself once again last week when Westwood Tavern & Tap opened in the former Prairie Rock/Pete Miller’s location. The novelty of this otherwise standard tavern concept, lies in the tables which feature their own private beer taps. On a spur-of-the-moment dinner meeting last week, we were intrigued when we found ourselves seated at a table tap and our waitress was more than happy to explain how the setup works. At select tables, there are two taps which emanate from the center of the table, one domestic and one import choice. Each table features a different combination of brews, so you’ll either have to get lucky and get a table with your choice or order directly from the bar. If you score a table tap you like, the waitress scans a card telling the computer located in the center of the table how many people will be drinking and it activates the taps for self-service. Sounds like either your greatest dream or a complete nightmare, right? The good part is that the computer calculates your consumption to the ounce and you only pay for what you drink, the more confusing part is that the computer will only serve a maximum of 32oz. per person - village guidelines. I’m sure they are still ironing out some of the details, and the waitress readily admitted they are evaluating as they go. All else aside, we enjoyed some stellar fish tacos (by no-ocean-in-sight Illinois standards), good service, and a comfortable, inviting atmosphere. I also look forward to enjoying the outside bar and lounge seating area next summer! Get out and experience Westwood Tavern & Tap soon – before it catches on with the beer crowd!

Westwood Tavern & Tap - 1385 N. Meacham Rd., Schaumburg – http://www.westwoodtavern.com/

-Amanda, 32, Carpentersville, IL