Halloween Fun at the Barrington Park District

Halloween is just around the corner and the Barrington Park District is offering some not-so-scary activities the entire family can enjoy.

The first event is the very popular Halloween Egg Hunt to be held at the Fitness and Recreation Center, 235 Lions Drive, on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. The event is open to children ages 1-10 with a parent present. Early registration is recommended, as this event tends to fill up fast.

“We’ve actually filled every year in years past,” said Park District Recreation Supervisor Kim Sweeney. “It’s our fourth or fifth year doing it, and each year we’ve increased our numbers a little bit and we’ve maxed out at 75.”

They Park District asks that people pre-register by heading to the Park District building at 235 Lions Drive. The cost is $5 per child, or $8 on the day of the event. Adults are admitted free with a child.

The egg hunt is more than just a search for candy. There’s also a safety aspect from the Barrington Police Department.

“We actually start off in the Barrington Room with a Halloween Safety presentation from a Police Officer from the Barrington Police Department,” Barrington Park District Recreation Supervisor Kim Sweeney said. “They do a Halloween safety talk and let the kids and parents ask questions.”

After the safety presentation, the group heads outside to hunt for eggs. A portion of Langendorf Park will be sectioned off for the event, complete with glow-in-the dark decorations. All kids are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes, and they are also required to bring flashlights. After the egg hunt ends, everyone is invited back inside for hot cider and cookies.

The Halloween Spooktacular is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Fitness and Recreation Center. This is another extremely popular event that families look forward to every year.

“We’re excited for that event this year,” Sweeney said. “We used to have our fall Kidz Karnival, but we’ve combined the two events this year. We have a lot of new stuff we haven’t had in the past.”

The Spooktacular is filled with everything from hayrides, face painting, hunting for candy, decorating trick-or-treat bags and even a glow-in-the-dark miniature golf course. The inflatables once enjoyed at the Kidz Karnival will be there as well and will feature a giant slide, rock climbing wall, giant obstacle course and Tot-Town for the little ones.

“We’ve added a Mad Scientist show from 10 to 10:45 a.m. and a costume contest from 11 to 11:30 a.m.,” Sweeney said.

Pre-registration is also recommended for this event. The cost is $9 for residents and $11 for non-residents. Adults are free with a paid child admission. The Spooktacular is for children ages 1-10.

Head to www.barringtonparkdistrict.org for more information.