By Chelsea Meyer
Rock River Current
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Halloween isn’t just about kids trick-or-treating — ghouls (adults) just wanna have fun too!

With Halloween approaching this Sunday, if you’re looking to venture out without the Children of the Corn, maybe check out a haunted house or have a few drinks in your Halloween costume, there are a lot of fun events a short drive away

Festival of Frights with spooky stories from Kathi Kresol

Want to hear some spooky stories from around the Rockford area? Kathi Kresol has been invited by the Festival of Frights to share some of her favorite ghost stories. This hourlong presentation at Sinnissippi Park, 1401 N. Second St., will feature ghost stories for all ages collected by the local author and tour guide herself. This is a free event but there is limited seating at the band shell. Reserve your spot by messaging Festival of Frights on Facebook. The spooky stories begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday.

All events at the park during the Festival of Frights are being held to grow their array of light displays and to fund costumes for local kids in need. After driving through the Festival of Frights, consider making a donation to the cauldron at the end.

Take a paranormal tour at Tinker Swiss Cottage

Have you ever wanted to see what a real paranormal investigation is all about? This is your chance to find out.
This exciting event will let you be the paranormal investigator just before Halloween.

Guests will be in small groups as you join the staff in the most active locations in the Cottage. You are welcome and encouraged to bring your own equipment (cameras, camcorders, audio recorders, emf). Each event begins in the barn.

Paranormal tours are scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Get tickets here.

More in news: Hauntings In The 815: Get To Know Haunted Rockford With Samantha Hochmann And Kathi Kresol

Jack O’Lantern World

Here’s a great date night idea, and it’s only an hour drive away. Take a journey and walk 3/4 of a mile through 15 magical worlds of jack-o-lanterns. You will experience thousands of hand-crafted illuminated pumpkins made by local artists in Lake Zurich. Make sure you head out there when it’s absolutely dark out to get the full experience. If you’re hungry or want a cold beer, there will be food trucks on-site as well as a beer vendor.

Get tickets here.

Chicago’s 2021 Vampire Ball:

This has been an ongoing tradition in the Chicagoland area. This Vampire Ball is happening this Saturday from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. and will offer lots of FANG-tastic entertainment including a live burlesque show by the vampiresses of BimBamBoom, a Vampire Queen Pageant, and a live DJ. Vampire attire is required. The ball is held at Twisted Hippo, 2925 West Montrose Ave., Chicago.

Tour the old Joliet haunted prison

Calling all Halloween thrill seekers! If you’re looking to celebrate Halloween with more than just a costume party then this is for you.

In 1896, Joliet Prison opened as a women’s prison. It closed in 2002 and laid abandoned for years until recently. In 2018, it opened for paranormal and ghost-hunting tours. You can walk a mile around the long-abandoned creepy corridors and take a look into the old prison cells. Would you dare enter the abandoned Joliet Prison?

Whatever you decide to do this Halloween, be safe and have a ghoulish time!

Related: What’s Rockford’s most haunted place? It may be this historic mansion

Check out these other Halloween events in the Stateline

Take part in a Halloween scavenger hunt in downtown Beloit

Check out all these trunk-or-treat events in the Rockford and Stateline area

Trick-or-treating with an adult twist: Trick or drink in downtown Oregon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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