Where does a Glen Ellyn pumpkin go once it's carved? Before Halloween, it can go on public display outside a recreation center on Hill Avenue. After Halloween, a pumpkin can spend a Saturday morning in Village Green Park getting smashed with a baseball bat and turned into compost.
The Glen Ellyn Park District has given pumpkins a place on both sides of October 31, and that makes late October through Thanksgiving weekend one continuous stretch on the town calendar. The composting morning in November is followed by Thanksgiving food drives, and the tree lighting comes the day after Thanksgiving.
Two Official Stops for a Pumpkin
Here they are in order. Both are free.
- Before Halloween, enter it in Pumpkins on Main. Carve it at home and drop it off for Pumpkins on Main on Monday, October 26 or Tuesday, October 27 at Main Street Recreation Center, 501 Hill Avenue, during regular business hours. Entry is free but you have to register, and entries can win prizes. The jack-o'-lanterns are displayed outside the rec center from Tuesday, October 27 through Saturday, October 31, and the Park District bills the display as a family photo spot.
- After Halloween, smash a pumpkin on Saturday, November 7, 9 to 11 a.m. The Pumpkin Smash at Village Green Park, 130 S. Lambert Road, is a composting event. The smashed pumpkins get added to the community garden soil. No registration needed.
There's a full week between Halloween and the Smash, and the rest of the season's events fill in around these two dates.
Thursday Through Saturday: Ackerman Park and Downtown Overlap
This post goes up on the first night of the Ackerman Haunted Trail. It runs Thursday, October 22 and Friday, October 23, 4 to 9 p.m., at Ackerman Park, 800 St. Charles Road. Timing matters for families. From 4 to 6 p.m. the trail is less scary, and after that it's geared toward older kids.
Saturday, October 24 is the busiest day of the season. The downtown events finish at noon, which is exactly when the Ackerman events start:
| Time | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30 a.m. | Halloween Parade staging | Glenwood Station Lot |
| 9:45 a.m. | Parade steps off | Downtown Glen Ellyn |
| 10 a.m. to noon | Crafts, games and trick-or-treating | Participating downtown businesses |
| Noon to 1:30 p.m. | Boo Bash | Ackerman Park, 800 St. Charles Road |
| Noon to 4 p.m. | Autumn Craft Fair, free admission | Ackerman SFC, 800 St. Charles Road |
The Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce's Halloween Festival & Parade wraps up at noon, when Boo Bash starts across town. Boo Bash and the Autumn Craft Fair overlap at the same address, and since the fair runs until 4, there's time for it after Boo Bash ends at 1:30. The Alliance of Downtown Glen Ellyn describes the morning as a parade with costume contests for "humans and their furry friends." It also has trick-or-treating at local businesses and a Halloween juggler walking around downtown.
Saturday is also a good day to drive the neighborhoods. The Alliance's Halloween Home Decorating Map & Contest is a map of spooky homes for a family drive. Voting runs through Sunday, October 25, and winners are announced Monday, October 26.
Monday, October 26 at 501 Hill Avenue
The busiest single address the following week is Main Street Recreation Center. On Monday, October 26, it's the first pumpkin drop-off day for Pumpkins on Main. From 4 to 5:30 p.m. the same afternoon, it also hosts the Park District's Trunk or Treat at Main Street, which is free.
So you can do both in one trip. Bring the carved pumpkin, walk the trunks, and head home. The decorating contest winners are announced that same Monday.
The pumpkin display is up from Tuesday through Halloween, which makes the rec center a stop for the whole last week of October.
Saturday, November 7, and the Fine Print on Smashing
The Park District frames the Pumpkin Smash around keeping waste out of landfills. Its listing says:
"Don't trash your pumpkins—smash them instead! Come to Village Green Park and be part of our pumpkin composting initiative. Let's work together to divert as many pounds as possible from landfills."
Because the goal is diverting "as many pounds as possible," every pumpkin gets weighed before it's smashed. The Park District's event page lists a few rules, and they decide what you can bring:
- Pumpkins have to be free of decorations and candles.
- Painted pumpkins aren't accepted.
- You can drop your pumpkins off and leave.
- If you want to do the smashing yourself, bring a baseball bat or a shovel.
The painted-pumpkin rule is the one to remember in October. A painted pumpkin can go on the porch, but it can't go to the Smash. If your household plans to finish the season at Village Green Park, carve your pumpkin instead of painting it, and take the candle out before you bring it.
The Week Around the Smash
Several events fall between the end of the Pumpkins on Main display and the Smash.
On Monday, November 2, the Park District hosts a Celebración de Día de los Muertos from 5 to 7 p.m. at Spring Avenue Recreation Center, 185 Spring Avenue. It's free with registration.
That Thursday, downtown turns to holiday shopping. Ladies Night Out runs Thursdays, November 5 and 12, from 5 to 9 p.m. It's a ticketed 21-and-over evening of shopping at participating downtown stores, with discounts, specials, wine and treats. The Alliance's calendar listed tickets as "on sale soon," so check before you plan around it.
The Park District's Autumn Masquerade is Friday, November 6, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Abbington Distinctive Banquets, 3S002 Route 53. That's the night before the Smash.
So for the first week of November, Halloween events and holiday events are on the calendar at the same time. The Smash is the last Halloween event, and Ladies Night Out kicks off the holiday shopping season.
Thanksgiving Morning Has Two Start Times
Halloween ends with a donation of pumpkins to the compost. Thanksgiving starts with donations too. The Park District has two Thanksgiving morning events on Thursday, November 26, and both raise donations instead of charging a fee.
The Turkey Trot 4-Mile Run starts at 8 a.m. at Lake Ellyn Park, 645 Lenox Road. It's free, and runners are invited to bring food donations for Glen House Food Pantry.
The Turkey Burn runs 7 to 10 a.m. at Ackerman SFC, 800 St. Charles Road. Entry is a nonperishable food or toiletry donation.
The two overlap. The Trot starts an hour into the Burn's three-hour window, so most households will need to pick one. Either way, bring something for the donation.
The Day After Thanksgiving, Downtown Lights Up
The Downtown Holiday Walk & Tree Lighting is Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving. The street opens at 5 p.m., and Santa lights the tree at 6. From 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. there's downtown shopping, Santa pictures and hot cocoa at the fire station. The event is free.
The Chamber and the Alliance bring back their Letters to Santa mailbox the same day, at the northeast corner of Main Street and Crescent Boulevard. Letters received by Sunday, December 13 are slated for a reply.
The Park District runs a second mailbox earlier. Santa's Mailbox is at Spring Avenue Recreation Center, 185 Spring Avenue, from Monday, November 23 through Friday, December 4. Participation is free.
The same Monday, November 23, the Park District offers Sensory-Friendly Santa Photos at Spring Avenue, with family time slots between 3 and 6 p.m. They're free with registration, and since the slots are booked ahead, registering early is the safe move.
The Whole Run on One Calendar
| Date | What to bring or do |
|---|---|
| Thu–Fri, Oct 22–23 | Haunted Trail at Ackerman Park, 4 to 9 p.m., less scary 4 to 6 |
| Sat, Oct 24 | Parade staging 9:30 a.m. at Glenwood Station Lot, then Ackerman from noon |
| Sun, Oct 25 | Last day to vote in the home decorating contest |
| Mon–Tue, Oct 26–27 | Carved pumpkin to 501 Hill Avenue, registration required |
| Tue–Sat, Oct 27–31 | Pumpkins on Main display |
| Mon, Nov 2 | Día de los Muertos at Spring Avenue, register first |
| Thu, Nov 5 and 12 | Ladies Night Out downtown, tickets required |
| Sat, Nov 7 | Undecorated, unpainted pumpkins to Village Green Park, 9 to 11 a.m. |
| Thu, Nov 26 | Food donation for the Turkey Trot or Turkey Burn |
| Fri, Nov 27 | Tree lighting at 6 p.m., Letters to Santa mailbox opens |
The last date on the calendar is Sunday, December 13, the deadline for a letter to reach the Main and Crescent mailbox and still get a reply.
If you're carving this weekend, our team at Alexa Wagner would love to see what ends up on the Hill Avenue display, and we can tell you which of these dates is worth working the rest of your fall around. Let's Connect.
