Spooky events being held at Fox River Trolley Museum

The Fox River Trolley Museum is holding a paranormal night on Oct. 4 and ghost story train rides on Oct. 11, 18 and 25 at its 365 S. LaFox St. location in South Elgin.

Free access to the museum grounds is offered for paranormal night, according to the museum’s website. Train rides with ghost hunts are scheduled for 6 and 7:30 p.m. and cost $20 per person.

Ghost story train rides are family-friendly and suitable for all ages. They will be offered at 5, 6:15 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person.

For tickets and information, go to foxtrolley.org.

Randall Oaks Zoo Fall Festival, with pedal tractors, scarecrow displays and pumpkins for sale, will be held daily from through Nov. 2 at the West Dundee venue. (Dundee Township Park District)

Randall Oaks Zoo Fall Fest underway through November

Randall Oaks Zoo Fall Festival will be held daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sunday, Nov. 2.

Featuring pedal tractors, pumpkin foods for zoo animals and a display of scarecrows, the event also will have pumpkins and fall concessions for sale, according to the Dundee Township Park District website.

Weekends will include hayrides for $3 per person and animal shows at 1:30 p.m. The zoo is located at 1180 N. Randall Road, West Dundee.

4-H to host open house at Kane County Fairgrounds

Illinois 4-H will hold an open house event event from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, at the Kane County Fairgrounds.

The 4-H Youth Development program focuses on building leadership, citizenship and life skills, a news release said. Interested families can check out what 4-H is about and meet its staff and volunteer leaders.

Members of 4-H can explore topics such as animal science, career and leadership development, creative arts, environmental sciences, global civic engagement, healthy living and nutrition, and STEM programs.

Membership is open to those ages 8 to 18. The Cloverbud program is designed for ages 5 to 7.

No registration is needed to attend. For more information, go to go.illinois.edu/info4Hdkk.

Applications for Elgin cultural arts grants due Oct. 2

Completed applications for grants from the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission must be submitted by 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2

Arts organizations that are registered Illinois nonprofits and offer programming in Elgin are eligible to apply, according to the city’s website. Grants of up to $10,000 are available for arts programs, projects and events.

For more information and applications, go to elginil.gov/1979/Cultural-Arts-Grants.

Moeller hosting youth/family fair, mobile DMV visit

State Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, is hosting a youth resource fair from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, and a visit from the Illinois Secretary of State’s mobile DMV unit from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Gail Borden Public Library in downtown Elgin.

The youth fair will feature organizations with information on volunteer opportunities, after-school programs, health and wellness resources and tools for career readiness, according to a new release.

The mobile DMV unit will offer limited driver’s license and identification services, including State ID and Real ID. Go to signup.com/go/dmroQca or call 847-841-7130 to make an appointment.

Secretary of State awards grants to two local nonprofits

Grant money has been awarded to The Literacy Connection and YWCA Elgin for programs that help people learn to read and write English by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who also serves as the state librarian.

The Literacy Connection received $151,840 and YWCA Elgin was given $156,000, according to information from Giannoulias’ office.

More than $6.7 million in literacy grants were given out to more than 70 organizations across the state that support adult, family and workplace literacy programs, a news release said. The money comes from the state and from the federal government’s Institute of Museum and Library Services.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/26/elgin-trolley-ghost-fall-zoo-4h-grants-library/