There’s something so comforting about fall. Maybe it’s the cooler weather that means throwing on a cozy sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. Or, perhaps it’s the pot of chili on the stove that’s enjoyed before heading out to a football game. Whatever makes it fall for you, the Naperville Park District has five additional fun ways to celebrate the upcoming fall season.

Need I say more? Hop on a hayride with family and friends and take a tour around beautiful Knoch Knolls or Seager Parks. Take a break and warm-up by a cozy bonfire while you sip hot chocolate or hot cider. Bring some food to cook over the open fire and make it an unforgettable event that you’ll want to make an annual tradition. This year, we’ve also added hayrides earlier in the afternoon to accommodate young families. Hayrides, which begin in mid-September, are available for families and larger groups.

Get the whole family into the Halloween spirit with this annual celebration of the holiday! Each child receives a pumpkin along with lots of fun decorating supplies to create their own one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Refreshments, games, a hayride and keepsake photo all are included.

An annual fall tradition for preschoolers and their parents, Wonderful World of Wheels is a great way for kids to get up close and personal with some really big and exciting community vehicles! In the past, this free event has featured a fire truck, moving van, school bus, dump truck and many more. Definitely bring a camera for tons of terrific photo opportunities, too! The event is held at the Garden Plots parking lot on West Street the first Wednesday in October.

Another free event for the kids, Halloween Happening has been providing not-so-spooky fun for nearly three decades! Held the Sunday afternoon before Halloween, kids (and even parents) come dressed in costume and enjoy games, prizes and lots of candy as they visit four themed lands. And, this year, Diego from “Go Diego Go!” will be there to greet everyone, courtesy of event sponsor, Comcast.

“Fall” and “fitness” combine in this new Park District offering that gets families running together and training for the Naperville Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day! If you’ve always wanted to run a 5K, but didn’t know quite how to prepare for it, this program is for you. If you’d benefit from the motivation of family and friends participating right along with you, then register now! The program includes group runs organized by Roadrunner Sports, nutritional advice from Whole Foods, automatic registration in the 2009 Turkey Trot and much more.

For more information on these and other Naperville Park District programs, please call 630-848-5000 or visit www.napervilleparks.org. We’re also now on Facebook, so join in the online conversation and help us stay in touch with you. We’ll help you have a fabulous fall!