Chicago weekend: Arts in the Dark Parade and other spooky events

Justin's picks:

🎃 Isn't it great that we have a Halloween parade in Chicago? We can thank Redmoon Theater for sowing the roots. Chicago's annual Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade returns with giant puppets, elaborate costumes, music and performances. It's one of the city's most creative parades, and you don't even need a costume to enjoy it. | Free | Columbus Drive | Saturday, 6–8pm

👻 Looking for Halloween scares without another haunted house? Unnatural Weird Wonder Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary with a collection of short horror plays about creepy neighbors, stalkers and things that go bump in the night. | $35-$45 | Greenhouse Theater Center | Friday–Sunday

🎤 Wait, Talib Kweli? You don't really know him, why is you lyin'? Old-school hip-hop fans, this one's for you. The legendary Queens rap group Mobb Deep and Brooklyn rapper Talib Kweli bring a night of hip-hop classics to Bridgeport. | Starts at $37 | Ramova Theatre | Saturday, 8pm

Carrie's picks:

🎵 The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) celebrates 60 years of performing experimental jazz and offering free classes. AACM represents a Chicago institution with global renown. This weekend, check out the Ubuntu Festival to get a real flavor of AACM's creative soul. | $40 | Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies at NEIU's Oakland campus | Thursday - Saturday

⚰️ Sure, it's a bit macabre, but Forest Park's annual Casket Races sound pretty fun and festive for Halloween. Teams compete for the funniest or creepiest casket. | Free to watch, $40 to enter | Beloit Avenue, between Madison & Adams in Forest Park | Saturday, 10:30am

🖼️ Hey, how about we talk about Northwest Indiana WITHOUT talking about the Bears? Here's your chance. "Our Mill, Our Home" explores "The Region's" rich history through photography and personal stories. The event also includes discussions, live portrait sessions and poetry. | Free | Gateway Park East in Gary | Saturday, 2-5pm |

Monica's Picks:

👻 Although I'm a terrible roller skater, I'm dying to see the costumes and fancy moves of the folks who show up at Spooky Scoot and Skate at Maggie Daley Park skating ribbon. | Free | Fridays through Oct. 31, 8:30am to 7pm

🍁 Fall is my favorite season, but I don't always have time to drive out to an orchard or pumpkin patch. So I was glad to see the Sadofsky Foundation's Fall Leaves Festival in Indian Boundary Park where I used to visit the zoo as a kid. Enjoy music, cider and free pumpkins for kids. | Free | Saturday, noon to 3pm

🚲 I love walking and biking parts of the city normally meant for cars, which is why I'm excited to catch this year's final Meet Me on Milwaukee, featuring bikes, live music, outdoor dining, exercise classes, sidewalk sales, and more on a closed-off Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker Park between Damen and Ashland. | Free | Sunday, 10am-4pm