Halloween is Saturday, and the forecast is calling for scattered showers, so maybe pack the rain boots with the costume this year.

There’s still plenty going on out south, including a Nightmare Before Christmas sing-along in Lockport Friday night and a free pumpkin patch in New Lenox Saturday morning.

Also on the channel this week, I finally made the video on why my family left Chicago for Frankfort. Five reasons, real trade-offs, and the one thing I didn’t expect about living here. Link is in the Dollar for Dollar section if you want the full breakdown.

Here's what's inside:

LET'S GET INTO IT ↓

🌿 2027 Will County Nature Calendars Now on Sale
Forest Preserve District is selling pre-order nature calendars for $15, with free shipping. Photos from the Preserve the Moment contest. Order by November 15th, ships first week of December. Good gift idea.

🎄 Tinley Park Holiday Happenings Is Coming: Vendors Wanted
Tree lighting November 20th, Holiday Market December 5th & 6th at Harmony Square, draws 15,000-20,000 people. Village is looking for vendors and food trucks now. Apply at tinleypark.org.

👗 Downtown Frankfort Fashion Show
Lennox Rose Boutique, Briosa, Tease Hair Co., Grounded Coffee, and more are teaming up for the second annual Styles and Strikes Fashion Show at The Loft on Ash Street next Thursday, Nov 5. Pizza buffet, drinks, and a portion of every ticket goes to the Frankfort Food Pantry.

🎃 Pumpkin Patch on Pine Street (New Lenox)

Free pumpkin patch at Grace Episcopal Church on Halloween morning. Free to enter, with a photo area, lawn games, and pumpkins and gourds for sale.

All proceeds benefit the church.

📅 Sat, Oct 31st | 10 AM
📍 209 N Pine St, New Lenox

🥋 Costumes, Candy & Combat (Joliet)

Christ Centered Combat is doing a Halloween morning event for kids: costumes, candy, games, and martial arts fun. Come in costume or a C3 shirt.

📅 Sat, Oct 31st | 9:30–11:30 AM
📍 2800 Black Rd, Joliet

🎬 Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along (Lockport)

White Oak Library’s Lockport Branch is hosting a Nightmare Before Christmas sing-along movie night the night before Halloween.

Snacks, singing, and Jack Skellington. Free, but registration is required.

📅 Fri, Oct 30th | 5 PM
📍 121 E 8th St, Lockport

Thinking about making a move in 2027? Click here and send me a message!

I made this move. Lived in the city for years, and when my family decided it was time to go, we had a choice to make. Naperville was on the list. A lot of people’s lists.

At $550K in Naperville, you’re getting into one of the most recognized suburbs in the country. Great schools, walkable downtown, strong resale. But you’re also buying into a more competitive market and a price per square foot that leaves you with less home than you’d expect at that number.

In Frankfort at $550K, you’re getting a 4-bed with a yard, a 2-car garage, and Lincoln-Way schools that don’t take a back seat to anyone. Property taxes do run higher in Frankfort, so factor that into the monthly payment. The downtown is walkable: real restaurants, coffee shops, local businesses on Ash Street. Metra access keeps the city in reach.

The things that made my family choose the southwest suburbs over everywhere else: space, schools, a predictable daily life, and a downtown worth walking. Frankfort checks every one of them at a price point that leaves room to actually live.

I broke it all down on the channel this week. Worth 10 minutes before you make that call.

👉 See what $550K gets you in Frankfort

👉 See what $550K gets you in Naperville

Thinking about making the move? Just send me a message, and I'll walk you through both sides based on what actually matters to you.

Prices as of 10/25/26 (USA National Gas Station Price Heat Map)

📍 Manhattan — ~$4.71 ⬆️ From Last Week
📍New Lenox — ~$4.89 ⬆️ From Last Week 
📍Mokena — ~$4.96  ⬇️ From Last Week 
📍Frankfort — ~$4.89  ⬇️ From Last Week 

📍Seasonal Retail Sales Associate (Frankfort)  — Details
📍Marriott Front Desk Clerk (Chicago) — Details

Friday: 72°/57° — 🌤️ Partly Sunny — 💧40% — 💨 S 9mph
Saturday: 66°/57° — 🌦️ Scattered Showers — 💧70% — 💨 S 12mph
Sunday: 66°/54° — ☁️ Mainly Cloudy, Windy — 💧30% — 💨 SW 19mph

🎃 Halloween forecast is looking wet, might want to have a backup plan or grab the rain boots with the costume this year.

Thanks for reading this week’s edition of the Chicago Suburbs Scoop.

Every Thursday, I'll be dropping this in your inbox.

Local news, what's going on this weekend, where the market's at, and a few things to make your week a little easier.

If there's something you want to see more of, just reply and let me know. This thing gets better when you tell me what matters to you.

Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you right back here next Thursday.

— John

📞 708-612-0644 | [email protected]