The Wheaton Park District is turning Memorial Park into a lantern-lit evening festival this fall, and you'll need to be 21 or older to get in.
Memorial Park After Dark runs Saturday, October 17, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at 225 Karlskoga Ave. Tickets cost $20.
The event features live entertainment, food vendors, and a Spirit Trail–Bourbon Tasting. The park district says the evening will incorporate local legends and atmospheric lighting throughout the park. No specific performers or food vendors have been announced.
The $20 price point sets it apart from the district's summer concert series at the same park, where tickets run $10 in advance or $12 at the gate.
Bourbon tasting follows board approval
The Spirit Trail–Bourbon Tasting fits a pattern at the district level. The Wheaton Park District board reviewed a request in January 2026 to approve beer and wine service at Memorial Park concerts and special events throughout the year. The bourbon tasting is listed under that broader authorization for alcohol at park events.
Memorial Park After Dark is the only ticketed evening event listed under the Memorial Park category on the district's fall calendar. The park sits next to downtown Wheaton and also hosts Shakespeare in the Park from Thursday, August 27, through Saturday, August 29.
Tickets and event details are available at wheatonparkdistrict.com.
Upcoming Wheaton-area fall events
- Pumpkin Fest — All of October, Cosley Zoo
- Night at the Museum: 'Cars' — Friday, October 2, DuPage County Historical Museum
- Halloween Happening — Friday, October 9
- Boo Bash — Thursday, October 15, Cosley Zoo, 5:15–6:45 p.m.
- Spooktacular Halloween Stroll — Friday, October 16, Cosley Zoo, 5:15–8:30 p.m.
- Memorial Park After Dark — Saturday, October 17, Memorial Park, 5–8:30 p.m., $20
