The 2020 Guide to Trick-or-Treating in Lake County

Obviously Halloween 2020 is going to look a bit different than usual. However it’s on SATURDAY this year so let’s make the best of it! Be sure to bookmark this page and come back frequently as we will be updating as often as possible.

It’s here, the month your kids dream of all year – Candy-tober! I mean October! As Halloween has grown beyond the neighborhood, it has also expanded beyond one day. So splurge on the good costume or let them buy more than one because there are plenty of opportunities this month to grab some candy all across Lake County!

Little Lake County put together this ultimate guide of all things trick-or-treat with community and business district trick-or-treating hours and events.

COVID-19 Statement: Experts have advised that the best thing for our community during the current Coronavirus pandemic is to reduce crowded gatherings. Please exercise caution when selecting outings. Ultimately it is your decision if you choose to go to public events and spaces. For the best and most up-to-date information on the outbreak locally, please visit the Lake County Health Department COVID-19 status page.

Trick-or-Treating Events in Lake County

Trick-or-Treat Trails| Business Trick-or-Treating Events| Trunk-or-Treat | Events with Trick or Treating | Community Trick or Treat Hours

Events are listed in chronological order under each type. Outdoor events are weather dependent; please check the listing before heading out. Little Lake County is not responsible for changes or cancellations. If there are fees or registration required spots were available at time of publishing, we are not responsible for sold out events.

Community Trick-or-Treat Hours

Here are the hours, per the individual city websites or offices, for trick-or-treating. If no hours are posted, we have published the times as we have seen from previous years or personal accounts, we will update as needed. Times and dates are subject to change.

Saturday, October 31

• Antioch 3:00 – 7:00 p.m.
• Barrington, normally 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. no announcement or confirmation published yet
• Bannockburn the village will not be positing official hours. See the website for details.
• Buffalo Grove, 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. Safety recommendations include masks, and maintaining distance. (reported by Chicago Tribune)
• Deerfield the village will not be posting official hours and discourages trick-or-treating. See the website for details.
• Glencoe 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. however the village discourages door-to-door trick-or-treating.
• Grandwood Park 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
• Grayslake 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
• Gurnee 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
• Hainesville 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
• Hawthorn Woods 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
• Highland Park 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. masks required
• Highwood 3:00 – 7:00 p.m., masks required, no large groups
• Island Lake 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
• Lake Bluff 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
• Lake Forest 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
• Lake Villa 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
• Lake Zurich 3:00 – 8:00 p.m.
• Libertyville hours are 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. but the village recommends against it
• Lindenhurst 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
• Lincolnshire 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
• Mundelein 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
• North Barrington, normally 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. no announcement or confirmation published yet
• North Chicago normally 2-5:00 p.m. the Sunday before Halloween – no confirmation for 2020
• Riverwoods the village will not be posting official hours and discourages trick-or-treating. See the website for details.
• Round Lake 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
• Round Lake Beach 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
• Round Lake Park 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
• Vernon Hills 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. masks required
• Volo 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. with the posted sign and recommendations
• Wadsworth 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
• Wauconda 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
• Waukegan 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. masks are required
• Wheeling, 3:00 – 7:00 p.m., safety recommendations of social distancing and mask-wearing
• Wildwood 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
• Winthrop Harbor 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
• Zion 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Trick-or-Treat Trails in Lake County

24 October 2:30 – 5:00 p.m. Boo Bash Grab & Go Drive-Thru
FREE – In-person – Outdoors
{Mundelein} This is a FREE Halloween-themed event for the entire family.
To promote safety guidelines, we are making the event a one-way GRAB & GO DRIVE THRU. Everyone must wear a face covering at this event, and must remain in your vehicle.

24 October 1:45, 2:30, or 3:15 p.m. Boonanza Trick-or-Treat Trail
In-Person – Registration Required – Outdoors
{Wheeling} Dress in your costume and spend a bewitching time filled with spooktacular fun! Enjoy the Trick-or-Treat trail with some of your favorite characters and goodies for all. Each child will receive a bag to collect their goodies and with a craft to take home. The trail will end with a pumpkin patch for each child to bring a pumpkin home to decorate. The fee is $5 per resident and $8 per non-residents, no day of registration accepted.

30 October 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Drive-Through Trick-or-Treat
In-Person – Outdoors
{Vernon Hills} Join Hawthorn Mall outside near the LOVE Mural for a drive-through trick-or-treating event. The first 200 goblins and ghouls who drive-through fully decked out in their Halloween costumes will receive a sealed goody bag filled with individually wrapped Halloween candy and coupons from Hawthorn Mall retailers.

30 October 4-6:00 p.m. Trail of Treats
FREE – In-Person – Outdoors
{Zion} Trail of Treats is a family-friendly spooktacular funfest designed with social distancing measures in mind. Participants will stay in their vehicle for a new Halloween drive-thru experience but are encouraged to dress up and decorate your cars if you like. Families will trick or treat through Shiloh Park starting at the Port Shiloh Pool parking lot on Shiloh Blvd. Each car will drive through multiple trick-or-treat stops hosted by the Park District, local businesses, and other organizations. Safety precautions will be followed.

Business Trick-or-Treat in Lake County

23 October 2:00 p.m. Trick-or-Treat Downtown Long Grove
FREE – In-Person – Outdoors
{Long Grove} From 2:00-5:00 p.m., businesses throughout Halloween Town will hand out sweets during our Historic Downtown Long Grove Trick-or-Treating extravaganza! To ensure safety, merchants may be handing out pre-packaged only treats outside. We ask that all of our Trick-or-Treaters and parents wear masks while entering and leaving the stores and eat their candy outside or at home!

30 October 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Trick or Treat on MainStreet 
FREE – In-Person 
{Libertyville} Trick or Treat in the perfect safe and secure environment – the stores in downtown Libertyville!  Be sure to bring your camera!  Participating stores will have a bright orange pumpkin sign on their door or window. Please wear your masks and maintain 6 feet social distancing.

Trunk-or-Treat Events in Lake County

23 October 5 – 6:00 p.m. Lake Bluff Drive-Thru Trunk-or-Treat
In-Person – Registration Required – Outdoors
{Lake Bluff} Trick or treating begins at 6:30 pm. There will not be a costume contest, however, children are welcome to wear their costumes to this event! Cars will be guided to enter the lot and follow the path of decorated trunks to collect candy. Due to COVID-19 safety precautions, families and children are asked to remain in their cars at all times. Park District Staff and trunk participants will hand out candy wearing face coverings and gloves.

24 October 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Barrington Park District Trunk-or-Treat
In-Person – Registration Required – Outdoors
{Barrington} Join the Barrington Park District and some special characters for Trunk or Treat! Dress up in your costume and head on over to Citizens Park for a great time! Make sure to bring your camera, there will be opportunities to visit with special friends such as Princesses, Superheros, and more! You must register for a 30-minute time frame. You must attend the time frame you register for. Face masks required for all participants ages 2 and up. The cost is $9 per resident child, $11 non-resident, and $4 per adult, $5 non-resident.

25 October 3-5:00 p.m. Trunk or Treat at Christ Church
In-Person – FREE – Registration Required
{Grayslake, Lake Forest, Vernon Hills} Get your costumes on and join us! The parking lots will be transformed into a “neighborhood”, full of fun trunks ready to give kids a treat! No scary costumes, please. We’ll follow social distance guidelines. Volunteers passing out candy will be wearing face masks and gloves. Family units will stay together as they “trick or treat”. Choose your location at the link above.

28 October 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Trunk or Treat at Oak Hill
In-Person – Outdoors – FREE
{Round Lake Beach} Trunk or Treat, all are welcome. Oak Hill is located at 76 E. Rollins Rd.

31 October 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. VHPD Trunk-or-Treat Drive-Thru
FREE – In-Person – Outdoors
{Vernon Hills} Trick-or-Treat at the Park District!  Families are invited to trick-or-treat by car through the Family Aquatic Center parking lot.  Decorate your car and wear your costumes too!  Local business will be on-site handing out candy as you drive by – no need to exit your car. For your safety, Park District staff and all local business personnel will wear face coverings.  We are also taking donations for the Vernon Township Food Pantry.

31 October 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. St. Michael’s Trunk-or-Treat
FREE – In-Person – Registration Required
{Barrington} Due to COVID guidelines, this is a pre-registration event, and you will be required to sign up for a time slot to participate. They will have a line of trunks for the children to parade through with their costumes, followed by a candy table with pre-packaged “boo bags” for each trick-or-treater.  They will be joined by the fire department, police department, and Davenport Funeral Home. (Event will be canceled in the event of inclement weather)

31 October 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. St. Paul UCC Drive-Thru Trunk-or-Treat
In-Person – Outdoors – FREE
{Barrington} Keep the kids safe this year for Halloween at St. Paul’s socially distanced Drive-thru Trunk or Treat! The parking lot will be filled with candy stations and all you have to do is bring the kids in costume, stop at each station as you drive through the parking lot, and collect goodie bags of candy at each station!

Events with Trick-or-Treating in Lake County

18 October – 1 November All Day Browse, Borrow, and Boo!
FREE – Indoors – In-person
{Barrington} Wear your costume to the Barrington Area Library between Monday, Oct 19, and Sunday, Nov 1 to receive a “treat” from the Youth Services Desk!

19 October 12:45 – 1:30 p.m. Spooktastic Ride ‘N Roll
In-Person – Registration Required – Outdoors
{Buffalo Grove} Roll in your vehicle through the Park District’s family-friendly Halloween trail. The Ride n’ Roll will take place in the parking lot, beginning at the Spray ‘N Play, and ending at the Golf Dome. Vehicles may enter off of McHenry Road or Deerfield Parkway to enter the line. Vehicles will slowly roll (5 MPH) through our Halloween themed trail, featuring family favorite characters and Spooktacular scenery. At the end of the ride, each child in the vehicle will receive a goodie bag. Costumes are encouraged for the whole family. Pre-registration is required; limited spots left. Fee is $8 per car.

26 October 3:30, 4:00, 4:30 or 5:00 p.m. Good & Ghostly Costume Parade
In-Person – Registration Required – Outdoors
{Mundelein} All Ages with an Adult. Parade around the Fremont Library to show off your costume! Complete the Obstacle Course, get a photo at the Picture Spot, and take home a treat bag (supplies are limited). All ages are welcome, but activities are recommended for ages birth – grade 5. Masks or face coverings are required at all times for all attendees over age 2.

24 October 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pete the Cat’s Drive-Thru Halloween Parade
In-Person – Registration Required – Outdoors
{Wauconda} Pete the Cat would like to wish you Happy Halloween and pass out goody bags during the Wauconda Area Library’s drive-by parade.  Please arrive at the library between 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Please register for all children coming.

25 October 1-4:00 p.m. Trick-or-Treat Drive-Thru
In-Person – FREE – Outdoors
{Wauconda}Join us for some safe family fun and drive-thru the Halloween Scenes at the Wauconda Park District put on by your favorite local businesses. Be sure the kiddos dress up too! Please enter and exit going northbound at the Park District. All attendees must remain in their vehicles.

Additional events and listings may be added as the information becomes available. If you know of an event or community that isn’t listed, please tell us about it in the comments.