Park Ridge Trucktoberfest is Saturday, Sept. 20

It’s that time of year again. The Park Ridge Trucktoberfest is your chance to come celebrate everything we love about Oktoberfest — and the fall season in general. This year’s event, held in Hodges Park, is presented by the Park Ridge Park District, MPowered Orthodontics, Harp & Fiddle and Beer on the Wall and sponsored by this very magazine, The Real Park Ridge.

Swing by Hodges Park on Saturday, Sept. 20 to sample an assortment of beer and delicious food from local food trucks from 12-9 p.m. The children’s activities area (inflatables, petting zoo, pony rides, games, crafts, face painting, hay play zone, etc.) will run from noon-6 p.m. with a $10 wristband per child.

Competitions include adult and child stein-holding contests at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and a strudel-eating contest at 2 p.m.

The ceremonial tapping of the keg happens at 12:30, and the Ascension Dance Team will perform at 12:35. A DJ (noon-5 p.m.) will give way to the Rosedale Ramblin’ Band (5-7 p.m.) and the Now and Then Band (7:30-9 p.m.).

Hodges Park is located at 101 Courtland Ave. in Park Ridge. Click here for more info.

Rosemont’s Family Fall Festival at Parkway Bank Park Sept. 14

Rosemont’s Parkway Bank Park entertainment district will kick off the fall season with the return of its annual Family Fall Festival on Sunday, September 14 from 1-5 p.m. The free event will feature a variety of free activities including bounce houses, face painting, a petting zoo, balloon sculptors, live music from Jeanie B! and the Jelly Beans, and more.

Parking for Family Fall Fest is available at the Parkway Bank Park parking garage and is free with validation from any of the park’s venues. 5501 Park Place in Rosemont. For more information, visit ParkwayBankPark.com

Sketchbook Brewing’s Oktoberfest Sept. 19-21

Sketchbook Brewing’s annual Oktoberfest celebration will take place Friday, Sept. 19-Sunday, Sept. 21 at both the Skokie and Evanston taprooms. The free event will have live music, stein hoisting and hammerschlagen competitions, loads of food including giant pretzels and, of course, lots of Oktoberfest beer.

Location: 4901 Main Street in Skokie
More info: SketchbookBrewing.com

Goebbert’s Farm Oktoberfest Sept. 19-21 and Fall Fest runs through Oct. 31

Oktoberfest at Goebbert’s Farm in Pingree Grove is a beloved annual authentic German celebration. This year, Oktoberfest is September 19-21, with Friday the 19th serving as Family Night — an evening full of fun, food, music and spectacular fireworks. Saturday night is adults only after 8 p.m. with more bands, games and tons of food and drink offerings.

Goebbert’s annual Fall Fest, complete with pumpkin patch wagon rides, apple picking, slides, exotic animal tent, train rides, carousels, corn maze, haunted house and much more, runs from Aug. 22-Oct. 31.

Visit Goebberts.com for tickets and more info. 42W813 Reinking Road in Pingree Grove

The new EXP Rosemont offers immersive adventures for all ages starting Sept. 26

In late September, the Village of Rosemont is welcoming EXP Rosemont — an extraordinary destination where families, groups and friends can step into immersive virtual reality adventures that spark wonder, excitement and discovery.

Get ready for the Horizon of Khufu, where you can step into the wonders of ancient Egypt in a breathtaking VR journey inside the Great Pyramid. Travel back 4,500 years to uncover its mysteries and experience the grandeur of one of humanity’s greatest monuments like never before.

In Life Chronicles, you can embark on a voyage through 3.5 billion years of the Earth’s history — from the origins of life to the age of dinosaurs and the rise of humankind — in an adventure that creatively blends science, art and storytelling into a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

EXP Rosemont is located at 9900 Berwyn Avenue. For more information and tickets, visit EXPRosemont.com

Park Ridge Park District’s Trunk or Treat Oct. 24

Save the date for some spooktacular fun at the annual Park Ridge Park District Trunk or Treat, which will be held Friday, Oct. 24 from 6-8 p.m. Held in the Centennial Fitness Center parking lot, local businesses and other organizations create a maze of themed trunks filled with treats and surprises for kids to meander through. The registration deadline for families to partake is Oct. 18, so don’t miss out. Visit PRParks.org for more information and to register.

Catch Me If You Can, the musical, runs at the Marriott Theatre through Oct. 19

This fall, the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, which happens to be Chicagoland’s longest-running musical theatre, presents Catch Me If You Can, the delightfully entertaining musical comedy based on the true story about chasing your dreams and not getting caught. JJ Niemann, who currently captivates audiences as Charles Lee in Hamilton on Broadway (additional Broadway credits include Back to the Future and The Book of Mormon) will make his Marriott Theatre debut as the charming 1960s con artist Frank Abagnale Jr., who posed as an airline pilot, a lawyer and a doctor — and then escaped police custody, all before he turned 22.

Directed by Jeff Award winner Jessica Fisch and music direction by Jeff Award winner Ryan T. Nelson, Catch Me If You Can opens Sept. 3 and runs through October 19. To reserve tickets, call the box office at 847-634-0200 or go to Tickets.Marriotttheatre.com