Fall Fest took over Rehm Park and the Oak Park Conservatory for an afternoon filled with family fun.
On Sept. 27, the Park District of Oak Park hosted the annual event that usually draws between 2,000 and 2,500 people according to Ann Marie Buczek, the district’s communications person. Buczek said “people look forward to it all year long,” and Fall Fest is a community favorite each year.
Attendees of Fall Fest fill Rehm Park on Sept. 27, 2026. Credit: Sydney Lovan 
People laugh on a ride at Fall Fest on Sept. 27, 2026, at Rehm Park. Credit: Sydney Lovan 
Attendees of Fall Fest look at live animals in the Oak Park Conservatory on Sept. 27, 2026. Credit: Sydney Lovan 
Children play with bubbles during Fall Fest on Sept. 27, 2026, at Rehm Park. Credit: Sydney Lovan 
A carnival ride spins during Fall Fest on Sept. 27, 2026, at Rehm Park. Credit: Sydney Lovan 
Ricardo Macies runs the Cane’s booth at Fall Fest on Sept. 27, 2026, in Rehm Park. Credit: Sydney Lovan 
Oak Park Society of Model Engineers show a model train at Fall Fest on Sept. 27, 2026, in Rehm Park. Credit: Sydney Lovan 
People laugh on a ride at Fall Fest on Sept. 27, 2026, at Rehm Park. Credit: Sydney Lovan 
David and Christina Morrow ride a slide with their child at Fall Fest on Sept. 27, 2026, near Rehm Park. Credit: Sydney Lovan 
Nicole Kreller helps run the Prep Academy Tutors booth at Fall Fest on Sept. 27, 2026, in Rehm Park. Credit: Sydney Lovan
There were carnival rides, interactive games, a train, booths run by local businesses and organizations, and animals for people to meet and touch in the Oak Park Conservatory, all to be enjoyed for free.
“This has to be my absolute favorite, the animals, I mean, where else do you get to pet the animals and hold them,” said Buczek.
Rico the sloth hangs as attendees of Fall Fest pet him on Sept. 27, 2026, at the Oak Park Conservatory. Credit: Sydney Lovan 
A child pets a snake at Fall Fest in the Oak Park Conservatory on Sept. 27, 2026. Credit: Sydney Lovan 
A tarantula at Fall Fest on Sept. 27, 2026, at the Oak Park Conservatory. Credit: Sydney Lovan 
A snake at Fall Fest on Sept. 27, 2026, at the Oak Park Conservatory. Credit: Sydney Lovan 
A hedgehog at Fall Fest on Sept. 27, 2026, at the Oak Park Conservatory. Credit: Sydney Lovan
Incredible Bats, an animal education and show company, brought out a variety of animals for the event such as snakes, a spider, lizards, an armadillo, bats and a crowd favorite, Rico the sloth. People were able to interact with the animals and be educated about their functions and care.
“It’s important so that they have a foundation for the rest of their life, understanding how beneficial the animals around them are to their environment, so it helps them kind of start being better stewards of their own world,” said Dan Peterson, the main caretaker of Rico the sloth and member of Incredible Bats.