Communities set trick-or-treat hours; Elgin Fire Department ready to dedicate firefighters plaza; Elgin police hosting Day of Dead event – Chicago Tribune

Halloween trick-or-treaters will be out collecting candy from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday in Elgin and 3 to 7 p.m. Monday in South Elgin, East and West Dundee, Carpentersville and Sleepy Hollow.

And after the holiday, the city of Elgin will be helping dispose of decaying pumpkins with its annual Pumpkin Smash event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 5., at Hawthorne Hills Nature Center, 28 Brookside Drive, and at the southwest corner of North Grove Avenue and Kimball Street.

Randall Oaks Zoo will hold a dinosaur scavenger hunt starting Tuesday, Nov. 1, and running through Nov. 27 at the 1180 N. Randall Road park in West Dundee.

Dinosaurs will be hidden around the zoo’s enclosures and finding them means a 10% discount at the zoo’s gift shop.

In November, the zoo is open every day other than Thanksgiving. Regular entry fees apply.

For more information, call 847-551-4312, email kellinghausen@dtpd.org or go to dtpd.org/randall-oaks-zoo.

The Elgin Police Department, in partnership with other local organizations, will host a free “Día de Muertos: A Celebration of Life” from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, in the Heritage Ballroom of The Ed Schock Centre of Elgin, 100 Symphony Way.

Those who stop by will learn about the cultural traditions involved and can speak with a variety of local agencies and nonprofits that will be present.

Activities will include a “dress like your abuelito/a” contest, a community altar and interactive crafts for all ages.

For more information, call 847-289-2700 or see www.facebook.com/ElginPolice.

The Elgin Fire Department will dedicate the Illinois Firefighters Memorial Plaza prior to the 30th annual Elgin Area Firefighter Memorial Service at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at George Van De Voorde Firefighter Memorial Park outside the Elgin Barn No. 5 Museum at 533 St. Charles St.

The plaza honors all Illinois firefighter who died in the line of duty as well as active and retired firefighters who have died in the last year in Elgin and surrounding communities.

Parking for the public, outdoor event will be available at Garfield Elementary School, 420 May St. In the event of rain, the event will be moved to the Calvary Baptist Church, 551 Arlington Ave.

To view the events live online, go to www.facebook.com/elginfire. A video of the event will be posted later at www.cityofelgin.org/141/Video-Center.

For more information, call Maria Medrano at 847-931-6175.

The Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce and the Elgin Development Group have adopted new logos.

Chamber President/CEO Carol Gieske said the new chamber logo has a simplified red/orange palette that keeps circles from the prior design, signifying the interconnectedness of the business community. The new green Elgin Development Group logo pays tribute to the focus on the city’s sustainability goals, she said.

For more information, go to www.elginchamber.com or call 847-741-5660.

The St. Charles Business Alliance has extended its deadline to be part of the St. Charles Electric Christmas Parade set for 5:30 p.m. Nov. 26 in downtown St. Charles.

Businesses, nonprofits and community groups interested in being in the parade should return a completed application and additional documents by no later than 4 p.m. Nov. 4.

Applications can be found at stcholidayhomecoming.com. Documents must be returned to the St. Charles Business Alliance at 2 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL 60174, or emailed to info@stcalliance.org.

The parade is part of the two-day St. Charles Holiday Homecoming event, which kicks off on Nov. 25.

For more information, call 630-443-3967.

Nominations are being taken for the annual Batavia Citizen of the Year Award.

The winner will be the guest of honor at the Batavia Chamber of Commerce’s annual Inspire 2023 awards celebration, which will take place in April 2023.

The award is given to a local resident whose service and dedication have made a significant contribution to the community, chamber officials said.

Nominees must live or have their business in Batavia or Batavia Township and have assisted in an improvement or program of significant value to the Batavia community, according to officials. They do not have to be a chamber member.

To nominate someone, submit a letter of recommendation to the Batavia Chamber of Commerce, 106 W. Wilson St., Batavia, no later than Nov. 11. The letter should state the reasons why the nominee is worthy of the honor.

It can be dropped off, mailed or emailed to Margaret@bataviachamber.org. A committee of previous award recipients will select the winner.

For more information, contact Margaret Perreault at margaret@bataviachamber.org or 630-879-7134.