Home / Chicago / Free this weekendFree things to do with kids in Chicago this weekend 89 events listed as free by their source for the weekend of Oct 16–18. Some may still need registration or venue entry; check the source link. Back to the full Chicago weekend guide .
Updated Monday, October 12, 2026
Oct 16–18 Oct 23–25 Oct 30–Nov 1 Nov 6–8 Get Chicago's weekend picks by email Every Thursday, free. Unsubscribe anytime.
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Top picks this weekend Big outings first: festivals, farms, shows and attractions, mixing free and paid, for a range of ages.
Fri, Oct 16 · 6pm–8pm
Dan Ryan Woods Visitor Center & Pavilion — Cook Co. · Suburbs
Scavenger hunt, games and crafts under the glowing night (black) lights.
Details at Forest Preserves of Cook County ↗
Sat, Oct 17
Lincoln Park Zoo — Chicago · Cook Co. · Chicago
Free all-ages Halloween event with trick-or-treating, a scavenger hunt, kid-friendly entertainment and free carousel rides.
Details at Lincoln Park Zoo ↗
Sat, Oct 17 · 10am–2pm
Wicker Park — Chicago (Wicker Park) · Cook Co. · Chicago
Halloween extravaganza with free pumpkins, live entertainment, costume parades and a haunted maze, plus a dog costume parade.
Details at Chicago Park District ↗
Sun, Oct 18 · 10am–3pm
River Trail Nature Center — Cook Co. · Suburbs
Celebrate the season with a special autumn fun day.
Details at Forest Preserves of Cook County ↗ Library storytimes & programs (79, free) From Chicago Public Library branches. Some need registration; check the library page.
Friday, Oct 16
9:30am Multilingual Playgroup / 多语言游戏小活动 · Chinatown Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
10am Book Builders · Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
10am Film Screening: Encanto (2021) · Brainerd Library, Chicago 3-5 · 6-10 · 11+ · Free
10am Film Screening: McFarland, USA (2018) · Back of the Yards Library, Chicago 6-10 · 11+ · Free
10am One Story Time, One Chicago · North Austin Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
10am Stay and Play · Canaryville Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
10am Tummy Time · South Shore Library, Chicago 0-2 · Free
10:30am Family Story Time · Rogers Park Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
10:30am One Story Time, One Chicago · Little Italy Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
10:30am Open Play Time · West Loop Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
10:30am Open Play Time · North Austin Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
10:30am Story Time · Logan Square Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
11am Music and Movement Story Time with Ms. My · Uptown Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
11am Quilting · Austin Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
11:30am Story Time · Logan Square Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
1pm Teen Time · Rogers Park Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
2pm [TEENS CRAFTS, GAMES AND PLAY] · West Town Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
2pm Drop-In Gaming Hours for Teens · Chicago Bee Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
2:45pm YOUmedia Takeover · Wrightwood-Ashburn Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
3pm Beads and Bonds: Friendship Bracelets · Altgeld Library, Chicago 6-10 · Free
3pm LEGO® Club · Toman Library, Chicago 3-5 · 6-10 · Free
3pm Teen Gaming · North Pulaski Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
3pm Teens Fall Spackle Art · South Chicago Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
3:30pm Puppet Story Time with Rocio "Chio" Cabrera · Mayfair Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · 6-10 · Free
4pm Building Challenges and Games · North Austin Library, Chicago 6-10 · 11+ · Free Saturday, Oct 17
9:15am Family Field Trip to Brookfield Zoo · Budlong Woods Library, Chicago 3-5 · 6-10 · 11+ · Free
9:30am One Story Time, One Chicago · Daley, Richard J.-Bridgeport Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
9:30am Tot Play Time · Garfield Ridge Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
10am Common Pantry Food Collection Drive · Sulzer Regional Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · 6-10 · 11+ · Free
10am Grab and Go Kits: Q-Tip Skeleton Craft · Canaryville Library, Chicago 3-5 · 6-10 · Free
10am Saturday Come, Stay, Play / Ven, quédate, juega el sábado · North Pulaski Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
10am Saturday Morning Snuggles: Storytime at Austin · Austin Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
10am Service Learning Club · Sulzer Regional Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
10am Voices of the City: A Building-Wide Arts Celebration at Harold Washington Library Center · Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago 6-10 · 11+ · Free
10:30am Art in the Library: Families Together · Garfield Ridge Library, Chicago 3-5 · 6-10 · 11+ · Free
10:30am Fall Family Music Concert · Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · 6-10 · Free
10:30am One Story Time, One Chicago · Obama Presidential Center Library, Chicago 3-5 · 6-10 · Free
11am Beginner Readers Book Club · Little Village Library, Chicago 6-10 · Free
11am Halloween Crafts With Artful Kreaccions · Back of the Yards Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
11am One Story Time, One Chicago · Dunning Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
11am Read to Rover · Beverly Library, Chicago 6-10 · Free
11am Real Ones Read: Teen Book Club · Gage Park Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
11am Saturday Open Play · King Library, Chicago 3-5 · 6-10 · Free
11am Saturday Story Time · Legler Regional Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · 6-10 · Free
11am Tortilla Art: Food, Tales and Mesoamerican Traditions · Jefferson Park Library, Chicago 6-10 · 11+ · Free
1pm Chess Club · Northtown Library, Chicago 6-10 · 11+ · Free
1pm Coding Club / Club de Programación · West Lawn Library, Chicago 6-10 · 11+ · Free
1pm Community Building: Audio Book + Craft · Little Village Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
1pm Edgewater Community Music Jam · Edgewater Library, Chicago 6-10 · 11+ · Free
1pm Words Have Power: Tween Time with Rhymefest · Obama Presidential Center Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
1:15pm Intro to Cricut Sticker Making or Heat Transfer · Gage Park Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
1:30pm Pop Up Leaf Dot Art · Blackstone Library, Chicago 3-5 · 6-10 · Free
1:30pm Slime Saturday: Glow in the Dark · West Pullman Library, Chicago 6-10 · Free
1:30pm Tabletop Gaming Open Shop · Sulzer Regional Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
2pm Afternoon Crafts for Kids · Scottsdale Library, Chicago 6-10 · Free
2pm Bilingual Story Time · Back of the Yards Library, Chicago 0-2 · 3-5 · Free
2pm Gaming Tournament · Legler Regional Library, Chicago 6-10 · Free
2pm LEGO® Club · Douglass Library, Chicago 6-10 · Free
2pm Magic the Gathering for Beginners · Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago 11+ · Free
2pm Meet: Fritz Pollard - The Fredrick Douglass of Football – Make a Team Pennant · Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago 6-10 · 11+ · Free
2pm Pulitzer on the Road Exhibit: A Guided Tour · Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago 11+ · Free
2pm Reading Hour with Cipriani’s Pizza · Garfield Ridge Library, Chicago 3-5 · 6-10 · 11+ · Free
2pm Sculpt Like Hunt and Perkins: A Creative Sculpting Workshop · Dunning Library, Chicago 6-10 · 11+ · Free
2pm Teen Vibez Saturday Edition: Resin Time · Chicago Lawn Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
2pm Tween Gaming · Greater Grand Crossing Library, Chicago 6-10 · 11+ · Free
2:30pm Artful Afternoon · Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago 3-5 · 6-10 · Free
2:30pm Family Craft Hour · Uptown Library, Chicago 6-10 · 11+ · Free
2:30pm Spooky Slime Saturday · Little Italy Library, Chicago 6-10 · Free
3pm Addams Family Values (1993) · Canaryville Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
3pm Tween Emoji Painting Workshop · Daley, Richard J.-Bridgeport Library, Chicago 11+ · Free Sunday, Oct 18
1pm Celebrating Polish Folktales with Master Storyteller Megan Wells · Oriole Park Library, Chicago 3-5 · 6-10 · Free
1pm Learn Chess with Dave · Walker Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
1:15pm Intro to Cricut Sticker Making or Heat Transfer · Gage Park Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
1:30pm Dungeons & Dragons Club · Lincoln Belmont Library, Chicago 11+ · Free
1:30pm Film Screening: Goosebumps (2015) · Scottsdale Library, Chicago 6-10 · 11+ · Free
2pm Family Film Screening: Corpse Bride (2005) · Back of the Yards Library, Chicago 6-10 · 11+ · Free
2pm Family Film Screening: Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo (2020) · West Lawn Library, Chicago 3-5 · 6-10 · 11+ · Free
2pm Music Teachers of Hyde Park Artists Series: Phyllis Calderon · Blackstone Library, Chicago 6-10 · 11+ · Free
3pm Developmental Playgroup with The Little Duck Collective · Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago 3-5 · Free Nothing matches those filters — try widening them.
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