halloween

Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up 2023

October 7, 2023

Chicago’s Largest Halloween Festival

Something wicked this way comes! My favorite annual Chicago pop-up event is back. Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up, Chicago’s largest Halloween festival, is 2 acres of festive photo ops, carnival games, a corn maze, cocktail bars, axe throwing, food, and pumpkins for sale. It’s open all October and is perfect for feeling all the fall vibes. I have greatly enjoyed this annual pop-up (view pictures from my 2022 and 2021 recaps). Read below for this year’s experience!

Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up Photo Ops

My favorite part about Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up, and the reason we’re eager to go back each year, is all the great photo ops! The unique fall and Halloween backdrops are the perfect urban opportunity to get into the spooky spirit. Each year they have oldie-but-goodie photo ops (like the pumpkin house) as well as new ones (like the window from the TV show Wednesday). The window,

Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up Food & Drink

Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up offers multiple cocktail bars and food for purchase. There is a taco truck, sweets from Eiffel Waffle, and other food – including apple cider donuts, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, elote, BBQ chicken sandwiches, and jumbo pretzels. The bars offer both alcohol and nonalcoholic options. We tried the apple cider (cold) and loved it! Make sure to bring a credit card as they do not accept cash. Beer, liquor, and ciders range between $9-$14.

Specialty Cocktails

Jack’s Potion of the Day – Specialty cocktail of the day
Jack’s Midnight Moonshine – Batched in-house with a hint of cranberry & peach
Fall in Love – Whipped vodka, cardamom & cranberry

Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up Tickets

Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up will be open to the public now through October 31, 2022. Tickets start at $22, and $20 for kids 5-11 years old. Add-ons include drink tickets, orange pumpkins, apple cider donuts, carnival games, axe throwing, and gemstone mining. Tickets are offered for time slots throughout the day and evening and can be reserved online in advance. Have a fun, spooky time!

DIY Slytherin School Girl Halloween Costume

October 10, 2019

My second favorite holiday is here! Halloween is great because you can dress up as literally anything your spooky heart desires. Last year I went the light route and was a sparkly unicorn, so this year I wanted to go on the dark side. It was a close toss up between this and Wednesday Adams, but in the end I went with the DIY Slytherin School Girl Halloween costume!

My final look is made of multiple different pieces that I acquired from online stores and Amazon. All pretty easy to get ahold of! I’ve linked everything in the slide show below except my exact skirt, which can be found here.

DIY Slytherin Halloween Costume

What are you being for Halloween this year? Comment them below, I want to know! Do you go more on the light side or dark side? Spooky or cute? Classic or modern? There’s so many Halloween costumes to choose from!

Chicago Halloween Events to Check Out this October

September 24, 2019

Halloween is hands down one of my favorite holidays. I love all the witchy, spooky, magical TV shows, movies, decorations and events that emerge with coveted fall fashion (view a post of where to find cute fall dresses under $50 here). Y’all know I love attending a themed event. Below are the best Chicago Halloween events to check out this October!

Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up

October 3 – 31

I went to Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up last year and LOVED it! The Instagramable pumpkin house, multiple photo ops, corn maze, beer for purchase – the whole set up was perfect for a perfect Autumn night. I will defiantly be going back again this year!

House of Beetle Pop-Up

October 17 – 31

This October pop-up is new this year to Chicago, and I can’t wait to check it out! Think spooky Beetlejuice vibes 🙂 There will be themed drinks, great tunes and lots of Instagram photo opportunities.

Adults Night Out: The Great Pumpkin Glow

October 24

Any event at the Lincoln Park Zoo is always a good one. October’s Adults Night Out is all things pumpkin. Guests can enjoy a jack-o-latern trail, corn maze, cash bars and complimentary rides on the carousel until 9:45pm – all during zoo after hours!

Haunted Halloween Ball

October 26

It’s time to bring out your dancing shoes at Congress Plaza Hotel, one of the most haunted hotels in the world! For $20 general admission you can enjoy VIP nightclub meets lounge meets haunted house. Dress in your best costume!

River North Halloween Crawl

October 26

Every year my friends and I go on a Halloween bar crawl in River North and it’s always so much fun! The heart of the city, lots of bars to choose from, and everyone dressed to impress in their best Halloween costumes. It’s a must do!

Nightmare at Navy Pier: 5th Annual Halloween Ball

October 26

Navy Pier is another great location for events in the city. This year Nightmare at Navy Pier presents their 5th annual Halloween Ball including multiple DJs and a cash bar at the Aon ballroom. Get your costumes ready!

Halloween Booze Cruise

October 31

If you are looking for something to do on actual Halloween, the 31st, look no further than this spooky booze cruise on Lake Michigan. Enjoy a DJ, giveaways, a costume contest and more on the Anita Dee II. Hurry and get your tickets before they sell out!

Will you be attending any of these Chicago Halloween events this October? Comment which ones below!

DIY Unicorn Halloween Costume

October 22, 2018

DIY Unicorn Halloween Costume

Who’s ready for Halloween? After going through many, many choices I decided to be a unicorn this year. However a lot of the already-made unicorn Halloween costumes online were, well, really weird. So instead I put together a few items that could easily be used after the holiday is over for going out on the weekend.

Read below for my DIY Unicorn Halloween Costume!

My favorite part of my unicorn costume is the horn (aka the most important part of a unicorn costume). While there are many cheap, plastic unicorn horns out there, I was so excited to find the most beautiful jeweled unicorn horn headband from Windsor! I’m talking as pretty as a tiara, but more magical.

I wanted to find a sparkly bodysuit for my DIY unicorn Halloween costume, the second most important aspect of doing it myself. Also from Windsor (seriously, this store came in clutch this season), this nude sequined bodysuit was perfect and matched the unicorn horn headband. It’s also currently ON SALE with all sizes in stock!!

I already had a tan suede mini skirt from LuLu’s to go over the bodysuit, which is no longer in stock, however I have this blush pink leather skirt and blush denim mini skirt are close matches that would work for a unicorn Halloween costume!

I have had the same go-to pair of nude heels for a year now and can’t rave about them enough. These nude A New Day heels come in heights 2.5 inch and 3.75 inch and are super comfortable to go out all night long. Fun fact: I have these in both heights!

Now that the outfit is complete, on to makeup and accessories! The Almay Goddess Gloss ‘Fairy’, a high-shine holographic lip gloss, is perfect for a DIY unicorn Halloween costume. It’s pink, glittery and offers moisture for while out. I paired the Almay Goddess Gloss lip gloss with Almay Make Them Jelly Hi-Lite and Almay Shadow Squad Eyeshadow Holographic.

Disclosure: I received Almay Goddess Gloss and other products from the Almay Cosmic Collection as part of a paid partnership with Almay and Her Campus Media, however all words and opinions are my own!

There you have it! A magical DIY unicorn Halloween costume that is sure to be a hit. What are you being for Halloween this year?