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14 th Annual Casket Races

October 21, 2026

Members of the team Dead Last participate in the annual Forest Park Casket Races last year. TINA HARLE

14th Annual 2026

Casket Races

October 21, 2026

14 th Annual Casket Races

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October 21, 2026

14 th Annual Casket Races

How to celebrate Halloween in Forest Park Four things to do to get in the spirit for All Hallow’s Eve By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

ERICA BENSON

Elfego and Luanna Roman of Forest Park walk the Candy Land trail during last year’s trunk-or-treat event at the Park District of Forest Park

TODD BANNOR

Team Dead Last in the parade of caskets prior to the Forest Park Casket Races on Oct. 18, 2025

Forest Park is starting to show signs that Halloween is approaching. Houses are adorned with spooky decorations, and dozens of scarecrows are staked in front of homes and businesses. Though trick-or-treating on Oct. 31 has been from around 3 to 7:30 p.m. in previous years, there are a handful of spooky events around Forest Park, leading up to All Hallow’s Eve

Casket races - 10/24, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. In honor of the village having more dead residents than living ones, the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce hosts the casket races every year — where costumed teams of four push decorated caskets on wheels down Beloit, aiming to get the fastest or slowest time (That’s right, there’s an award for the “dead last” team, too.) For the 14th annual race this year, the Forest Park Review will have a team participating for the first time since 2017. Come see me dressed as a newsboy — and how we decorated our casket — at the annual Halloween celebration. The races are free to watch and start at 11 a.m. The parade of caskets begin at 10:30 a.m. After the casket races, there is trick-or-treating down Madison Street until 2:30 p.m.

Scarecrow bike ride - 10/25, 10 a.m. The Historical Society of Forest Park is hosting a free bike ride tour again this year. The route will pass by over 70 scarecrows in the village, decorated for the annual Invasion of the Scarecrows fundraiser. Funds go toward the historical society and Forest Park Arts Alliance. This year’s bike ride will start at the Roos Recreation Center parking lot at 10 a.m. Amy Binns-Calvey, who writes a column for the Review, will lead the tour. Bring your own bike! RSVP for the bike ride, and vote for your favorite scarecrows, at https://www.forestparkhistory.org/.

Habakkuk Halloween - 10/25, 6 to 9 p.m. The weekend before Halloween, Robert’s Westside is hosting its own little party with a DJ, raffles and costume contest. Tickets start at $12.51 and are available at https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/habakkuk-halloween-tickets-1999090916746.

PROVIDED

Kate Henneberry and Anna LaFaire with MacDaddy Salon’s 2025 scarecrow, inspired by Moira Rose’s character in “Schitt’s Creek”

Trunk-or-Treat - 10/31, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. On Halloween, the park district will host a trick-or-treat event out of the trunks of decorated cars at the parking lot at 7501 Harrison St. Participation is free, but registration is required for those handing out treats. Register at https://www.pdofp.org/ events/trunk-or-treat.

ERICA BENSON TODD BANNOR

Teams Alice in Wonderland and Extreme Realty at the start of their heat at the Forest Park Casket Races on Oct. 18, 2025

TODD BANNOR

Team Toy Story in the parade of caskets prior to the Forest Park Casket Races on Oct. 18, 2025

Emilia Desai of River Forest picks candy out of the hood of a car during last year’s trunk-or-treat event at the Park District of Forest Park

October 21, 2026

14 th Annual Casket Races

Leaf collection assistance available

hether it is time to rake leaves in the fall or shovel snow in the winter, Oak Parkers are encouraged to look for opportunities to help neighbors who may need assistance. For the third straight year, leaves will no longer be raked directly into the street this fall. With one option for discarding leaves being to place them in yard waste bags and/or rigid containers in the parkway, property owners can tap into their neighborly instincts by helping those in need of support. The Village also coordinates an online portal where Oak Parkers can request leaf collection assistance. Visit www.oak-park. us/leafcollection and ﬁll out the form under the leaf collection assistance section to request help raking leaves. Fall leaf collection collectionThe page also includes a link program expands stance available to a sign-up form for anyone ther it is time to rake leaves in to eight pickups interested in volunteering to e fall or shovel snow in the Village’s fall leaf collection ak Parkers are encouraged rake leaves.he For more inforprogram is scheduled for Oct. or opportunities to help 26 – Dec. 18, withcollection eight pickups mation about leaf s who may need assistance. scheduled for each section of hird straight year, leaves will assistance, contact NeighOak Park. Rather than placing r be raked directly into the leaves directly into the street, s fall. With one option for borConnect@oak-park.us residents can choose from a g leaves being to place them variety of leaf collection options or 708.358.5410. aste bags and/or rigid

rs in the parkway, property an tap into their neighborly by helping those in need of The Village also coordinates portal where Oak Parkers est leaf collection assistance. w.oak-park.us/leafcollection ut the form under the leaf n assistance section to help raking leaves. The o includes a link to a orm for anyone interested eering to rake leaves. For ormation about leaf n assistance, contact rConnect@oak-park.us 58.5410. ollection

introduced in 2024 to improve safety

Fall leaf collection program expands to eight pickups

he Village’s fall leaf collection program is scheduled for Oct. 26 – Dec. 18, with eight pickups scheduled for each section of Oak Park. Rather than placing leaves directly into the street, residents can choose from a variety of leaf collection options introduced in 2024 to improve safety and help the environment: Leave the leaves…The most sustainable option! Oak Park residents are encouraged to consider raking leaves into garden beds or leaving them on the lawn to promote soil health. This option offers an opportunity to support regional biodiversity and save money on fertilizer by allowing leaf litter to decompose naturally. It also aligns with the Village’s Climate Ready Oak Park plan. Compost leaves…Residents who participate in the Village’s CompostAble program can discard leaves in their 96-gallon gray organics cart along with food scraps and other yard waste throughout the year. Find more information about the program and sign up to participate at www.oak-park. us/compost. Residents can also compost in place by running a mulching mower over leaves and leaving them in their yard to decompose and fertilize the soil.

and help the environment: Leaf collection block parties…To support Leave the leaves…The most the community-minded spirit of assisting sustainable option! Oak Park residents are encouraged to consider neighbors, the Village is again allowing raking leaves into garden beds or leaving on the to promote each block tothem host anlawn extra leaf collecsoil health. This option offers an tion block party during weekends in Noopportunity to support regional biodiversity and save money on vember. Visit www.oak-park.us/leafcolfertilizer by allowing leaf litter to Place leaves in a bag or bin...Fallen leaves naturally. It also aligns lection todecompose request a leaf collection block with the Village’s Climate Ready Oak can be placed in yard waste bags and/or rigid party. AllPark theplan. rules for traditional block containers and left in the parkway as close to Compostincluding leaves…Residents parties apply, the requirement who participate in the Village’s the curb as possible for pickup. Eight pickups to includeCompostAble a petition signed by at least program can discard leavesaddresses in their 96-gallon on gray the organics are planned for each section of the Village 10 separate block. This dection for block Oct.parties… cart along with food scraps and other ort the community-minded on the scheduled pickup dates indicated yard waste throughout the year.neighbors an ickups initiative is intended to give assisting neighbors, the Find more information about the again block chance to gather while also making on the map. Green yard waste stickers are on ofallowing each extra program and sign up to participate n extra leaf collection block acing at www.oak-park.us/compost. NOT required during the eight-week Fall it easier to collect fallen leaves. For more ring weekends in November. Residents can also compost in place treet, w.oak-park.us/leafcollection Leaf Program, and residents may C T I O Collection N MAP information, contact 708.358.5700 orLE A F CO L LE by running a mulching mower over st a leaf collection block m a leaves and leaving them in their yard put out an unlimited number of bags and/ the rules for traditional publicworks@ oak-park.us. to decompose and fertilize the soil. options rties apply, including the rigid in the parkway on their Place leaves in a bag or bin...Fallen leaves can be placed inor yard waste containers bags ent to include a petition prove safety and/or rigid containers and left in the parkway as close to the curb as possible collection day. The Village’s waste y at least 10 separate designated nt: for pickup. Eight pickups are planned for each section of the Village on the addresses on the hauler Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS) scheduled pickup dates indicated on the map. Green yard waste stickers are block. This most initiative is NOT required during the eight-week Fall Leaf Collection Program, and residents will transport the leaves to a compost facility. intended to give may put out an unlimited number of bags and/or rigid containers in the parkway Park on their designated collection day. The Village’s waste hauler Lakeshore neighbors an Commercial properties and large multifamily d to consider Recycling Systems (LRS) will transport the leaves to a compost facility. extra chance to buildings Commercial properties and large multifamily buildings with six or more with six or more units do not particin beds orgather while also units do not participate in the Village’s refuse program and have always been making it easier pate in the Village’s refuse program and have n to promote responsible for their own leaf collection and disposal. For more information to collect fallen about fall leaf collection, visit www.oak-park.us/leafcollection, call 708.358.5700 fers anleaves. For more always been responsible for their own leaf or email publicworks@oak-park.us. information, contact egional collection and disposal. For more information 708.358.5700 or Be sure to remind landscapers…Residents who utilize landscape services are oneypublicworks@ on asked to remind their landscaper that fallen leaves should not be placed in leaf collection, visit www.oak-park. about fall the street but should instead be mulched, placed in yard waste bags or hauled litteroak-park.us. to us/leafcollection, call 708.358.5700 or email away. A handout with information about the leaf collection process in both also aligns English and Spanish is available at www.oak-park.us/leafcollection. publicworks@oak-park.us.

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ents lage’s can discard gray organics aps and other he year. bout the participate mpost. post in place ower over in their yard ze the soil.

Be sure to remind landscapers…Residents who utilize landscape services are asked to remind their landscaper that fallen leaves should not be placed in the street but should instead be mulched, placed in yard waste bags or hauled away. A handout with information about the leaf collection process in both English and Spanish is available at www. oak-park.us/leafcollection. L E A F CO L LE C T I O N M AP

October 21, 2026

14 th Annual Casket Races

Halloween is all kinds of fun in Forest Park

TINA HARLE

TODD BANNOR

TINA HARLE

TODD BANNOR

TINA HARLE

TODD BANNOR

TINA HARLE

SURE, I TAUGHT TO THROW STICK ATBUT FIRST I WAS AHIM LITTLE TAKENAABACK 21, 2026 B7 14 Annual Casket AND NOW HANGING OUT October WITH HIM BYRaces THE WHOLE PEEING STANDING UP THING. IS ITHE BESTHIM PARTTOOFTHROW MY DAY.A STICK BUT TAUGHT AND NOW HANGING OUT WITH HIM IS THE BEST PART OF MY DAY. — EINSTEIN th

adopted 12-09-10 — EINSTEIN adopted 12-09-10

TODD BANNOR

TINA HARLE

TODD BANNOR

October 21, 2026

14 th Annual Casket Races