For the second year in a row, skeletons are taking over downtown La Grange. Skeletober 2026 runs all of October, and the La Grange Business Association says it brings a Skeleton Scavenger Hunt, seasonal sips and treats from restaurants, "hauntingly good deals," photo ops and special events.
The scavenger hunt shapes how you spend the month downtown. The program doesn't happen at one spot. It's spread across the storefronts, so you find it by walking. Most of this October downtown works the same way. The farmers market, Halloween afternoon and the stretch of La Grange Road where three restaurants have been announced all sit within a few blocks of each other. If you spend October downtown, you'll walk past both the seasonal events and the storefronts that are about to change.
Skeletober sets the route
The LGBA describes Skeletober as a return visit: "The skeletons returned to La Grange last October — and apparently, one visit wasn't enough." Local organizations can sign up to put a skeleton in the hunt, and the Skeletober page has a sign-up link for groups that want to take part.
The page doesn't list which shops or restaurants are participating. You'll find out by walking, which is how a scavenger hunt is supposed to work. Plan to cover more than one block. If the 2026 hunt spreads skeletons the way the LGBA describes, with "a few surprises lurking around every corner," a quick trip for one errand probably won't turn up many of them.
Skeletober also comes right after a new fall event. The LGBA scheduled its first La Grange Oktoberfest for September 25 through 27, 2026, as a three-day downtown celebration with live music, German-inspired food and drinks, family activities and competitions. Patch reported that the Village Board approved the permit, with the festival planned for downtown's Calendar Avenue. Southwest Regional Publishing placed it on Calendar between La Grange Road and Ashland Avenue and listed the planned hours as 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, with nonprofit games and fundraising among the activities.
Taken together, a street festival at the end of September followed by a month-long scavenger hunt keeps people coming downtown through the season, not for a single weekend.
Four Thursdays left at the farmers market
The 2026 La Grange Farmers Market runs on Thursdays from May 21 through October 29, according to the LGBA market page. October 1 fell on a Thursday this year, so as of today, October 8, four market days remain:
| Market day | Date |
|---|---|
| Thursday | October 8 |
| Thursday | October 15 |
| Thursday | October 22 |
| Thursday | October 29, final market of 2026 |
The LGBA names these vendors among this season's lineup:
- Tidey Farms
- Skibbe Farms
- Nuts to Go
- Aracely's Bakery
- Miracle Microgreens
The market page we reviewed doesn't list a street address or hours, so check the LGBA site before you go. Since market days fall inside Skeletober, a Thursday market trip is also a good time to look for skeletons on the surrounding blocks.
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year
October 31, 2026 is a Saturday, so the whole trick-or-treat window lands on a weekend afternoon and evening. Two sources give different hours, so check before you plan.
The Village of La Grange calendar lists trick-or-treat hours of 3 to 8 p.m. village-wide on Saturday, October 31. On October 1, La Grange Daily reported a shared window of 2 to 8 p.m. for La Grange, La Grange Park, Western Springs and Countryside. That report cites an announcement from the Village of La Grange Park, which also asked drivers to take extra care during trick-or-treating hours.
The two sources agree on the 8 p.m. finish and differ only on the start time. If your street plans around a set start, the Village of La Grange's own calendar is the place to check closer to the day.
The blocks where downtown is turning over
Walk La Grange Road for Skeletober or a Thursday market this month and you'll pass several storefronts that have changed or are about to. One business has opened, one has been renovated, and three restaurants have been announced but not yet confirmed open.
| Address | Business | What it is | Status as of October 8, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown La Grange | Swell House | Vintage, antique and modern home décor | Open; grand opening held June 3 to 6 |
| 541 S. La Grange Road | Balkan Bakery | Serbian and Balkan bakery, dessert shop and specialty store | Renovation complete; expanded menu planned for September |
| 23 S. La Grange Road | My Sushi | Sushi restaurant | Announced; owner targeted September |
| 37 La Grange Road | Woow Hot Pot | Table-side hot pot | Announced; renovation underway as of June |
| 50 S. La Grange Road, Unit A | Crepas Culichi | Mexican- and French-inspired breakfast, brunch and lunch | Announced; July target depended on construction |
What's already open or refreshed
Swell House opened in downtown La Grange this spring with vintage, antique and modern home décor. The LGBA announced the opening on May 22 and held a grand-opening weekend from Wednesday, June 3 through Saturday, June 6.
Balkan Bakery at 541 S. La Grange Road isn't new, but it looks different. Patch reported in August that the bakery finished a renovation that added indoor and outdoor seating, a patio with a pergola and new display cases, and stayed open during the work. La Grange Daily reported the planned menu expansion: Balkan-inspired sandwiches, salads and snack bowls alongside the bakery's established items. The new menu was set for September. We haven't found a report confirming it launched, so if a sandwich is what brings you in, call ahead.
What's announced but not yet confirmed
My Sushi, 23 S. La Grange Road. On July 24, the La Grange Design Review Commission approved a new facade for the planned restaurant, which sits next to Wheelys Coffee Lounge. Some of the public comment questioned how the modern design fits downtown. Commission chairman Kurt Volkman, an architect, said the village isn't in the business of enforcing architectural uniformity, and added that "Modern architecture has a place in every community." The owner told Patch the target was a September opening. As of late July, no menu or concept details beyond the name had been released. According to La Grange Daily, several tenants have come and gone from that storefront in recent years, and Wheelys Coffee Lounge next door has stayed open through all of them.
Woow Hot Pot, 37 La Grange Road. This restaurant is going into the space that held Steak + Vine, which Patch reported closed earlier in 2026 after a decade on La Grange Road. It's related to Woow Sushi next door and will serve table-side hot pot with meats and vegetables. In June, Patch reported that renovation had started and the owners hoped to open in three to four months, which would be roughly now.
Crepas Culichi, 50 S. La Grange Road, Unit A. This Mexican- and French-inspired restaurant is taking the former Forbidden Noodles space. The owners planned to start with breakfast, brunch and lunch seven days a week and possibly add dinner if there's demand. Their July target depended on construction.
We haven't found any report confirming that any of these three restaurants had opened as of October 8. All the dates above were targets set by the owners. A quick walk past 23, 37 and 50 S. La Grange Road will tell you more than the news coverage so far. All three addresses are on the same stretch of the corridor as the rest of this month's events.
Downtown's next season
After Halloween and the October 29 market, the next downtown event is the holiday season. The LGBA's events page lists Hometown Holiday and the Holiday Walk as "INFO COMING SOON," so 2026 dates and plans haven't been posted yet. Keep an eye on the LGBA events page in the coming weeks. If the restaurant openings stay on schedule, the holiday season could be the first time all three are serving at once.
At the Courtney Stach Group, we follow changes along La Grange Road for the same reason you do. Our families eat, shop and walk here too. If you have questions about how downtown is changing around your block, or you're thinking about getting your home ready while these storefronts fill in, we'd be glad to talk it through over coffee downtown.
