"It's a simple bowl with a big purpose," the New Lenox Community Park District said about Empty Bowls. Its soup fundraiser is back on Saturday, Oct. 10, at an event with a new name. According to Patch, Last Call Before Fall has been revamped and renamed Fallapalooza this year, and Empty Bowls stayed as part of it.
The new name fits a bigger change in the calendar. The Village's own listing still says the event celebrates "the end of the summer and the beginning of fall." In 2026, though, it is clearly the start of something. The afternoon at the Village Commons now launches a scarecrow display that stays up for more than three weeks. Two Halloween mornings follow later in October, and the season ends in late November on a golf course. The whole run lasts six weeks, from Oct. 10 to Nov. 21, and as of today, Oct. 3, it starts one week from now.
What changed on Oct. 10, and what stayed the same
Fallapalooza runs from noon to 4 p.m. at the Village Commons, 101 Veterans Parkway, and admission is free. Patch published the lineup in its Sept. 30 report.
For grown-ups: live music from Derek Caruso & The Blues Fuse, food from TQM BBQ, beer and other drinks, and a fall photo backdrop.
For kids: train rides, bounce houses, face painting, pumpkin decorating and a petting zoo. A caramel apple station and a slime cart will run while supplies last.
Two things carry over from earlier years. Empty Bowls is still organized by the Friends of the Parks Foundation, and the money still goes to the New Lenox Township Food Pantry. A $20 donation gets you a hand-painted bowl and unlimited soup tastings from local restaurants while supplies last. This year's bowls were painted by New Lenox High School students. If you plan to pay by card, the Park District's Fall 2026 Program Guide says credit and debit payments carry a surcharge.
The one part of the day with a hard limit
Most of Fallapalooza has no limit on how many people can join. Empty Bowls does. Patch reports the $20 bowl offer is limited to the first 350 people.
Past sales put that number in context. In both 2024 and 2025, the Park District board's October meeting minutes reported more than 200 bowls sold. A 350-bowl cap leaves room for growth beyond those sales. The soup also comes with "while supplies last," so if you have a favorite pot, earlier in the afternoon is the safer bet.
No 2026 list of soup donors has been published yet. The 2025 minutes, dated Oct. 15, 2025, thanked 12 soup and chili providers:
- United Methodist Church
- 3 Corners
- Sanctuary Golf Course
- North & Maple
- Gina's Teardrop Café
- Berkots
- Aurelios of Frankfort
- Portillos
- White Horse
- Arrowhead Ales
- Hog Wild
- Gatto's
The 2024 list, reported at the Oct. 16, 2024 meeting, overlaps a lot with that one. Bourbon Smokehouse and Beggars were on it in 2024. North & Maple, Arrowhead Ales and Hog Wild appear in the 2025 list. Treat both lists as a record of past years, not a promise of who will be serving on Oct. 10.
Why the scarecrows run longer this year
Fallapalooza also starts the New Lenox Chamber of Commerce's 7th annual Scarecrow Stroll. The Chamber and the Village list it as a standing public display in the Commons that you can visit any time from Oct. 10 through Nov. 1, 2026. An archived Village notice describes how it works. Local businesses and organizations build scarecrows along a path through the Commons.
Starting the stroll at Fallapalooza gives it a much longer run than in earlier years:
| Year | Viewing window | Source detail |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Oct. 24 through Nov. 2 | Free viewing dates printed by Patch |
| 2023 | Through Nov. 2 | More than 80 scarecrows, per Patch |
| 2026 | Oct. 10 through Nov. 1 | Starts at Fallapalooza, per the Chamber |
In 2022 the display was up for about ten days. This year it runs 23 days, starting with the biggest crowd of the fall. Registration to build a scarecrow closed on Wednesday, Sept. 23, so this year's lineup is set. The Chamber's 2026 event gallery shows entries labeled for the Chamber, the Village of New Lenox, NLSD 122, Berkot's, Bella Fiori and several other groups.
The longer run also changes how you can see it. The rest of the season's events happen near the scarecrows, and some happen right among them. If you skip the crowd on Oct. 10, you can still walk the Commons path on a quiet weekday in mid-October.
Two Halloween mornings, one day apart
The Commons hosts the next big event before the scarecrows come down. The Chamber's annual Halloween Fest is in the Village Commons from 9 to 11 a.m. It is free and includes trunk-or-treat, a costume contest and a pumpkin party. The listing's body gives the date as Oct. 24, 2026, which is the Saturday. Its heading says Saturday, Oct. 25, so check the Chamber's page before you go.
The next morning brings a separate event in a different place. The Park District's Big Bad Pumpkin Party runs Sunday, Oct. 25, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Walker Country Estates Park. It is open to all ages, and an adult has to stay with children. The costume contest has three age groups: 1 to 4, 5 to 8 and 9 to 12. The Park District gives one firm rule. The last hayrack ride leaves at 11:15 a.m. "No exceptions!"
With a costumed kid, you could do both. That means trunk-or-treat in the Commons on Saturday, with the scarecrows still standing around you. On Sunday you would head to Walker Country Estates Park and get there well before the last hayrack ride.
November ends the season at Sanctuary Golf Course
After the Scarecrow Stroll closes on Nov. 1, the season's last stop is Saturday, Nov. 21. The Park District's Gobbler Gauntlet 5K starts at 8 a.m. at Sanctuary Golf Course, 485 Marley Road. It is open to ages 7 and older, and the money raised goes to the Park District's scholarship program. In the Fall 2026 Program Guide, Park District President Mark Ott Jr. calls the race "a community favorite that brings together runners, walkers, and families."
Sanctuary Golf Course also connects the start and end of the season. It was on the Empty Bowls soup list in both 2024 and 2025.
The same morning, the Park District holds an adult flag-football tournament at Wintrust Crossroads Sports Complex. Check-in starts at 8 a.m. Teams must register by Friday, Oct. 30, and the rain date is Sunday, Nov. 22. That deadline falls while the scarecrows are still up, so a team that wants to play has to sign up weeks before the holiday weekend.
Here is the full run in order:
- Saturday, Oct. 10: Fallapalooza and Empty Bowls at the Village Commons, noon to 4 p.m. The Scarecrow Stroll opens.
- Saturday, Oct. 24: Chamber Halloween Fest at the Commons, 9 to 11 a.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 25: Big Bad Pumpkin Party at Walker Country Estates Park, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The last hayrack ride leaves at 11:15.
- Friday, Oct. 30: Registration deadline for the flag-football tournament.
- Sunday, Nov. 1: Last day of the Scarecrow Stroll.
- Saturday, Nov. 21: Gobbler Gauntlet 5K at Sanctuary Golf Course at 8 a.m., plus the flag-football tournament at Wintrust Crossroads Sports Complex.
After that, the Park District calendar moves to winter. Its fall guide lists a new Holiday Cookie Swap and Winter Wonderland, and the Noon Year's Eve Party is coming back.
Fall in New Lenox is a full calendar, and a home sale or purchase has a calendar of its own. If you're curious what your home might be worth while you plan the next few weekends, the team at Michelle Arseneau Group is glad to put together a free home valuation, with no pressure and on your schedule. We'll see you at the Commons.
