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Events & Announcements

Don’t Trash It, Smash It! The Pumpkin Smash is Back at LVHS!

It’s time for one last celebration of the Halloween season—the annual Pumpkin Smash!

Thanks to the incredible community spirit and effort, everyone’s commitment has made the Lake View High School location the largest smash and compost event in the city! Last year, with the help of our partners like Lake View High School, their JROTC, and the 47th Ward, we composted over 19,000 pounds of pumpkins, keeping a huge amount of organic waste out of landfills.

This year, we’re challenging ourselves to reach a new milestone: Let’s double the tonnage! Join us in this fun, eco-friendly way to green your Halloween and support the environment.

Event Details

  • When: Saturday, November 8, 10 am – 2 pm
  • Where: Lake View High School parking lot, Greenview entrance from Irving Park

How to Participate

  1. Bring Your Pumpkins and Gourds: All decorative squashes are welcome.
  2. Prep Your Pumpkins: Please ensure you remove stickers and candles first!
  3. Show Your Spirit: Halloween celebrants are encouraged to wear their costumes one more time.
  4. Go Green on Transport: We love how many neighbors biked or brought their pumpkins in Radio Flyer or other wagons—it’s the best way to get them to the smash!

Let’s beat last year’s record and make an even bigger impact on our composting efforts!

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Events & Announcements

This Sat: Halloween Fun & Food Drive at Warner Park

The date is set, the costumes are planned, and the caramel apples are being prepped! Just a quick reminder that the Graceland West Community Association Annual Halloween Party is happening this Saturday, October 25th, from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM at Warner Park!

The party will be full of fantastic, free fun for all the little monsters: a Pumpkin Decorating, Costume Contest, Ghost Sack Races, Mummy Wrap games, and, of course, Halloween Caramel Candy Apples and plenty of treats.

Don’t forget to bring donations for those in need

While we love seeing creative costumes and smiling faces, the most valuable item you can bring this year is a donation for our neighbors. We are hosting a drive for Nourishing Hope (formerly Lakeview Pantry) to help stock their shelves for the fall and winter months.

We will have a collection point right at the entrance of the party. If you are planning to attend, please consider bringing one or more non-perishable items from their most-needed list. Your generosity makes a direct impact on local families!

We look forward to celebrating Halloween with you on Saturday and making a difference together!

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Events & Announcements

Save the Date! Graceland West Annual Halloween Party is Back at Warner Park!

Get your costumes ready, Graceland West! The annual Graceland West Community Association Halloween Party is right around the corner, and we can’t wait to see all the ghosts, goblins, heroes, and villains that show up this year!

Event Details

Date:Saturday, October 25th
Time:11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location:Warner Park
Cost:FREE for all Graceland West residents and their families!

What to Expect

We’re bringing back all the fun favorites you loved last year. Join your neighbors for two hours of festive fall fun perfect for kids of all ages:

  • Costume Contest: Show off your creativity! We’ll have prizes for the best, most creative, and silliest costumes.
  • Spooky Games: Get ready for some spirited competition! We’ll have classic fun like the Ghost Sack Race and the hilarious Mummy Wrap station.
  • Pumpkin Decorating Station: Grab a mini-pumpkin (while supplies last) and decorate it with stickers, markers, and crafty bits to take home!
  • Candy & Treats: Plenty of sweets for all the little monsters, including our famous Halloween Caramel Candy Apples and other seasonal snacks!

Get Involved! (Two Ways to Support Your Community)

The success of this party—and our community—relies on your fantastic involvement!

  1. We will be collecting non-perishable food items during the event to benefit those in need this fall.
  2. Take Our Community Survey: We also need your input! Before the event, please take a few minutes to fill out our quick survey to share your thoughts on participating in and contributing to our community.

We can’t wait to celebrate the season with you and your family!

To volunteer or if you have any questions, please email info@gracelandwest.org.

See you on October 25th!

Pumpkin Smash at LVHS

November 8, 2025 @ 10:00 am 2:00 pm

Everyone’s efforts have made this pumpkin smash location one of the largest smash and compost events in the city.  Let’s double the tonnage this year!  Saturday, November 8, 10 am – 2 pm at Lake View High School parking lot, Greenview entrance from Irving Park. Halloween celebrants are encouraged to wear their costumes one more time. Bring pumpkins and gourds.  Remove stickers and candles first.

Graceland West Halloween Party 2025

October 25, 2025 @ 11:00 am 1:00 pm

WHO: All Graceland West neighbors!
WHAT: Annual Family Halloween Party
WHEN: Saturday, October 25th | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
WHERE: Warner Park and Gardens
COST: FREE

Details & Activities
Join us for two hours of fun, games, and treats. Get those costumes ready—we can’t wait to see them!

Spooky Games like our Ghost Sack Race and Mummy Wrap

Pumpkin Decorating Station

Candy & Treats: Including our famous Caramel Candy Apples!

Costume Contest (Prizes!)

And more!

Help Your Community!
We are collecting non-perishable food items at the event to benefit those in need. Please bring a donation if you can! 

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Colin McLeod

Warner Park and Gardens

1444 Warner Avenue
Chicago, IL 60613 United States
+ Google Map
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Events & Announcements

Final Reminder: Graceland West Halloween Party is This Saturday!

Halloween is almost here, and we’re so excited for our Graceland West Halloween Party happening this Saturday, October 26th, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Warner Park!

Here’s what you can look forward to:

Costume Contest – Show off your Halloween costumes and compete for a fun prize!
Scavenger Hunt – Take part in our first-ever scavenger hunt and see how many spooky decorations you can find around the neighborhood.
Games & Activities – Mummy races, pumpkin decorating, spider maze, pinata, and more!
Create Your Own Candy Apples – Get creative and make a delicious treat!

We can’t wait to see you all on Saturday at Warner Park for a fantastic Halloween celebration. Bring your costumes, your scavenger hunt forms, and plenty of Halloween spirit!

Photo credit: Teddi Burgess Photography

Don’t Trash It, Smash It!

After the Halloween fun is over, don’t forget to save your pumpkins for the Pumpkin Smash happening on Saturday, November 9th from 10 AM to 2 PM at Lake View High School (4015 N Ashland Ave). This is a great way to green your Halloween by composting your pumpkins instead of throwing them in the trash.

How it works: Bring your pumpkins (with all candles, paint, and decorations removed), and they’ll be smashed and composted. It’s a fun, eco-friendly way to dispose of your pumpkins!

Let’s all help keep pumpkins out of landfills and do our part for the environment!

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Events & Announcements

How Many Spooky Decorations Can You Find? Graceland West Scavenger Hunt Begins!

Calling all ghosts and goblins! Our first ever Graceland West Halloween Scavenger Hunt is officially live, and we invite you to join the fun!

Explore the neighborhood and see how many spooky decorations you can find within the area north of Irving Park Ave, south of Montrose Ave, west of Clark St, and east of Ashland Ave. There are 15 decorations to hunt for—how many can you spot?

How it works:

  1. Download the scavenger hunt form HERE or create a copy on your phone.
  2. Take a walk through the neighborhood and find as many of the listed decorations as you can.
  3. Bring your responses to the Graceland West Halloween Party at Warner Park on Saturday, October 26th between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM.

The participant with the most correct answers will win a prize!

This is a great chance to enjoy the Graceland West Halloween spirit and the beautiful weather, so grab your friends, family, and little ones for a spooky stroll. We can’t wait to see how many of you rise to the challenge!

Happy hunting!

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Events & Announcements

Get Ready for Spooky Trivia Night & Our Halloween Party!

We’ve got two fun Halloween events coming your way this October.

Spooky Trivia Night
Saturday, October 19
7:00 PM
Maxwell-Hutchinson House (4200 Block of Greenview)

Calling all Halloween enthusiasts and trivia buffs! Join us for a fun-filled Spooky Trivia Night at the Maxwell-Hutchinson House. This adults-only evening will test your knowledge of Chicago and neighborhood history while you enjoy drinks, bites, and great company.

Cost of attendance: $50 per individual (adults only). Sign up here: Graceland West Experience Parties.

Dust off your thinking caps and come ready for a spooky good time. We can’t wait to see you there.

Halloween Party at Warner Park
Saturday, October 26
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Warner Park & Gardens

Bring the whole family to our Halloween party in Warner Park. There will be fun activities, treats, and festive Halloween vibes for kids and adults. Costumes are highly encouraged.

We’re also looking for volunteers to help make this event a success. Whether you can lend a hand with setting up, running games, or helping clean up, your time will be much appreciated.

If you’re interested in volunteering, please reach out to info@gracelandwest.org.

SPOOKY TRIVIA NIGHT

October 19, 2024 @ 7:00 pm

October 19 // 7:00 pm // Maxwell-Hutchinson House (Greenview)

Halloween + trivia + Chicago/neighborhood history: what could be better? Join us for this (adults-only) spooky trivia night at the Maxwell-Hutchinson house! Hang out with your neighbors while you drink, nosh, and show off your wits!

Cost of attendance: $50 per individual(adults only)

Sarah Maxwell

Graceland West Halloween Party 2024

October 26, 2024 @ 11:00 am 1:00 pm

🎃 Date: Saturday, October 26, 2024
🎃 Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
🎃 Location: Warner Park

Join us for the annual Graceland West Halloween Party! This fun-filled event is perfect for families and kids of all ages, with a spooky lineup of activities, including:

  • Costume Contest (New for 2024!)
  • Pinata (New for 2024!)
  • Scavenger Hunt (New for 2024!)
  • Pin the Stem on the Pumpkin
  • Pumpkin Decorating
  • Mummy Races
  • Spider Maze
  • Create Your Own Candy Apples

Volunteers Needed! If you’d like to help set up, manage an activity, or assist with clean-up, please contact us at info@gracelandwest.org.

Bring your best costume, lots of energy, and be ready for a spooktacular time!

Colin McLeod

Warner Park and Gardens

1444 Warner Avenue
Chicago, IL 60613 United States
+ Google Map
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