Westmont is filling October with haunted forest walks, a murder mystery dinner and village employees hurling pumpkins from a fire truck.

The Village of Westmont announced its 2026 Wicked West Fest schedule on Thursday, Sept. 3, listing more than a dozen fall and Halloween events running through Saturday, Nov. 7. Two sign-up deadlines land on Friday, Sept. 25, so residents who want in on the Scarecrow Decorating Contest or the Fall & Halloween Window Mural Program should register before then.

The Westmont Chamber of Commerce and the Westmont Historical Society are hosting the scarecrow contest. Decorated scarecrows will line downtown Westmont, and the public can vote for favorites online. The Window Mural Program, run by Westmont Special Events and the Creative Arts Network, pairs local artists with area businesses to paint fall and Halloween murals on storefronts. Sign-up details are at westmontevents.com.

Early October

A StoryWalk featuring "Walter's Wonderful Web" by Tim Hopgood runs Friday, Oct. 2, through Monday, Oct. 5, at Diane Main Park, 300 W. 59th St. The Westmont Public Library created the self-guided activity.

On Sunday, Oct. 4, the Gregg House Museum hosts "The Last Straw" from noon to 4 p.m. at 115 S. Linden St. Families can build scarecrows, decorate pumpkins, take a hayride and pan for gold.

The big Saturday: Oct. 17

The festival's main downtown day packs four events into one Saturday. A Halloween Costume Contest kicks off with sign-up at 10 a.m. on East Irving Street near Cass Avenue, with six categories. The Trick or Treat Trail runs 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. along Cass Avenue at participating downtown businesses.

At 11 a.m. on West Irving Street, the Pumpkin Smash Extravaganza sends representatives from village departments and public agencies 20 feet up in a Fire Department bucket truck to hurl pumpkins at a target on the street below. The Caskets on Cass Race, a foot race of homemade caskets built by community groups, businesses and residents, follows at 12:30 p.m.

That same day, the Haunted Forest Walk takes over Diane Main Park, 200 W. 59th St., from 3 to 9:30 p.m. A wagon ride carries visitors from the park through Smith Woods, where costumed characters line the wooded path. Little Monsters, the kid-friendly showing, runs 3 to 6:30 p.m. Sheer Terror Tours follow from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Tickets are $9 per person.

Murder mystery and library programs

"The Crime: A 1920s Murder Mystery Dinner" is set for Saturday, Oct. 10, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Oakbrook Hill's Resort, 3500 Midwest Rd. Tickets are $75 and include dinner, dessert, two drink tickets and a theatrical experience. Register through the Westmont Park District at 630-963-5252, code 207723-A.

The Westmont Public Library, 428 N. Cass Ave., is running its own lineup: a Book Page Pumpkin craft for adults on Monday, Oct. 12; a Special Effects Makeup class for teens taught by GlamBat Studios on Wednesday, Oct. 14; Mini Pumpkin Painting sessions for kids and teens on Thursday, Oct. 15; a Costume & Craft storytime for ages 0–6 on Wednesday, Oct. 21; and a "Mystery & Horror in the Golden Age of Radio" presentation by radio historian Steve Darnall on Thursday, Oct. 22. Registration for most library events is required at westmontlibrary.org/events.

Closing weekend

Spooktacular Fun Night brings trick-or-treating, crafts and games to the Westmont Park District Community Center, 75 E. Richmond St., on Friday, Oct. 30, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The fest wraps up with the Pumpkin Compost Collection on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to noon at a new location: the commuter parking lot next to Westmont Village Hall, 31 W. Quincy St. Residents can drop off pumpkins cleaned of candles and decorations for composting. The Village of Westmont, Westmont Public Works and the Westmont Environmental Improvement Committee (EIC) host the collection, which has run for more than 10 years.

"Our goal is to have every resident in Westmont who uses a pumpkin as a Halloween decoration participate in this program so that these pumpkins can be collected and composted," EIC Staff Liaison Larry McIntyre said in a Sept. 3 village statement announcing the composting event.

Costume contest and Caskets on Cass inquiries go to Westmont Special Events at [email protected] or 630-829-9378. Trick or Treat Trail and casket race sign-ups are through the Westmont Chamber of Commerce at westmontchamber.com or 630-960-5553.