Where to make the most of Halloween at suburban bars this week

With Halloween falling in the middle of the week, suburban bars and restaurants are going all out with haunted bashes the weekend before, on Oct. 31 and the weekend after. This gives you plenty of opportunities to show off your unique costume and possibly win some cash or cool prizes.

Here is just a sample of where you can find a hauntingly good time in the suburbs this week.

Alumni Club

1540 N. Roselle Road, Schaumburg, (847) 519-7555 or alumniclub.pub/halloween.

Vamps & Vixens: Party until 3 a.m. Friday, Oct. 26. This costume contest could net you thousands in cash and prizes, including $250 cash for best costume. Plus, there are prizes for all semifinalists. DJ and dancing until close. Free.

Superheros & Villains: Until 3 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. Go all out for this costume contest as the winner takes home $500 cash for best costume. Prizes for all semifinalists, too. DJ and dancing until close. Free.

BaseCamp Pub

5750 Lakeside Drive, Lisle, (331) 777-4712 or basecamppub.com/.

Local Harvest Festival: 7 p.m. to midnight Friday, Oct. 26. Skyline Entertainment hosts a Halloween celebration featuring music from six DuPage County bands, plus a costume contest, Halloween trivia and drink specials. Hear music from The Roaches, SKYD, Trick Shooter Social Club, Tonic Freight Train, Matt Derda & The High Watts, and The Rum Runners. This is an 18 and older event.

$1,000 Costume Contest and Trash Martini Live: 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. This kind of Halloween costume contest requires your best effort. First prize goes homes with $600, second gets $300 and third takes $100. Trash Martini headlines. Tickets are $7-$10 at ticketweb.com/.

Hocus Pocus Themed Trivia & $100 Costume Contest: 7 to 11 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31. BaseCamp is honoring the 25th anniversary of "Hocus Pocus" with a themed trivia contest and costume contest. Stick around after trivia for a showing of the movie. Food and drink specials include $2 burgers, $4 Goose Island 312, $12 Bud or Bud Light buckets, $20 mix and match Goose Island cans (16 ounce) and the special themed shot: Witches Brew (Smirnoff Vanilla Vodka, Pumpkin Spice Bailey Irish Cream and Fireball) for $3.

Broken Oar

614 Rawson Bridge Road, Port Barrington, (847) 639-9468 or brokenoar.com/.

4 Days of Halloween: 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 26-27; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28. Get ready for costume contests on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. And, of course, music from DJ Brownie Byte Thursday, Party Obvious and Moon Money Friday, Rumor Hazit Saturday and Lava Rock Sunday, all in the heated tent.

Cairo Pizza and Grill

2009 Franciscan Way, West Chicago, (630) 876-9600, cairoalehouse.com/ or 630productions.yapsody.com.

630 Productions Halloween Bash: 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27: Catch lots of local bands playing covers: Bury Me in Lights (as Misfits), Invictus (as The Offspring), The Glory Years (as Fall Out Boy) and The Dead Seahorses (as Green Day). Come dressed in your Halloween best for the costume contest. This is a 21-and-older event. $8-$10.

Crawl-O-Ween

MB Financial Park, 5440 Park Place, Rosemont, rosemont.com/thepark/events/crawl-o-ween-2018/.

Crawl-O-Ween: One of the spookiest pub crawls around is back. Don your most creative Halloween costume and get ready for a night of fun. Stop in at all seven bars to get your card punched (with a purchase) during the four-hour crawl, which runs from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. Participating bars include Adobe Gila's, Bub City, Five Roses, Hofbräuhaus Chicago, Kings Bowl, Park Tavern and Sugar Factory. Tickets, which cost $10 in advance or $15 the day-of, include access to the bar crawl, two Zanies Comedy Club tickets and drink specials at each location. Drink specials include $3 draft beers, $4 vodka plus mixers, $5 specialty drinks and $6 German mules at Hofbrauhaus. Purchase tickets at eventbrite.com/.

Drink Nightclub

871 E. Algonquin Road, Schaumburg, (847) 397-3100 or drinknightclub.com/halloween.

It's Drink-O-Ween time at Drink this weekend and next. Grab a costume and get ready to enter a haunted house with cool special effects.

Slasher Slumber Party: 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Friday, Oct. 26. Put your best costume forward for the chance to win $500 cash. Enjoy two rooms of DJs, with music from Brian Boncher and Rich Ungos. Have fun at the Halloween-themed photo booth, too.

Executioner's Ball: 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. Go all out with your costume Saturday to try to win the $1,000 cash prize. All semifinalists will win a prize, too. Music from Rich Ungos, DJ Spin and Dahmino.

Halloween Fang-Over: 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 2-3. With Halloween on a Wednesday this year, why not keep up the Halloween partying all week? Don your costume again for a second chance costume contest Saturday with a $250 cash prize.

Durty Nellie's

180 N. Smith St., Palatine, (847) 358-9150 or durtynellies.com/live-bands/.

90s Zombie Prom: Marc Esses & Danny Vintage get the party going from 9:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, before Fool House takes over from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Nellie's is billing this as the "ultimate '90s dance party," so come in your best zombie prom gear. Doors open at 9 p.m. $7. Buy tickets at eventbrite.com/.

Famous Freddie's Roadhouse

510 Park, Fox Lake, (847) 587-9677 or famousfreddiesroadhouse.com/halloween.

Freddie's Nightmare: Until 3 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. This bash claims to be the biggest Halloween dance party in Fox Lake; you should probably come in costume so you don't feel left out. Plus, there's a costume contest that will pay out $300 cash to the winner. All semifinalists will receive prizes, too. A DJ will be rocking until 3 a.m. No cover.

Finn McCool's Irish Sports Pub

72 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake, (815) 356-1155 or finnmccoolschicago.com/crystallake/halloween.

Haunted Pirates: Until 2 a.m. Friday, October 26. Get decked out in your best costume for the chance to win $300 cash for first prize. Prizes for all semifinalists, too.

Vamps & Vixens: Until 2 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. Saturday's costume contest pays out $500 cash for first prize. Semifinalists will also go home with prizes.

Finn McCool's Irish Sports Pub

1941 E. Algonquin Road, Schaumburg, (847) 303-5100 or finnmccoolschicago.com/schaumburg/.

Anti-Halloween bash: Until 3 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. Really, no costumes are necessary. Finn McCool's is hosting an anti-Halloween party as a way for revelers to take a break from the Halloween party madness.

Granite City

1828 Abriter Court, Naperville, (630) 544-3700 or gcfb.com/location/naperville-illinois/.

Halloween trivia: 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 29. Test your knowledge of all things Halloween-related during trivia night. Play solo or bring a team. The top three teams will win prizes.

H.O.M.E. Bar

1227 N. Rand Road, Arlington Heights, (847) 577-4663 or homebarchicago.com.

Halloween Party: 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. There Goes the Neighborhood headlines, plus there's a costume contest with $1,000 in cash giveaways. DJs keep the party going until 4 a.m. This is a 21-and-older event. $10 cover. Get tickets at ticketweb.com/.

Joe's Live

MB Financial Park, 5441 Park Place, Rosemont, (847) 261-0392 or joesliverosemont.com/.

Halloween Party: 7th heaven and Karma Committee are going to rock this Halloween bash. Don't forget your costume for the costume contest. You just might take home $500 for first prize. Doors open at 8 p.m., with the show starting at 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. Tickets cost $10. Buy them at ticketweb.com/.

Lucky Star

1175 W. Lake St., Bartlett, (630) 830-7200 or luckystarbar.com/halloween.

Boos Boots & Booze: 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. Yep, get dressed up this weekend for the chance to win $250 in prizes for best costume (individual and couples categories). Prizes for all semifinalists, too. Halloween dance lessons start at 7:30 p.m. The party is hosted by Estelle, DJ Jim and Kevin.

Moretti's Ristorante & Pizzeria

1175 W. Lake St., Bartlett, (630) 837-4992 or morettisrestaurants.com/bartlett/.

Kids' Halloween Party: Noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28. Jack Skellington will be on-site from 1 to 3 p.m. for photos and a meet and greet. Nosh on food family-style, bob for doughnuts, decorate cookies and dance to a DJ. It's $17.95 for adults, $9.95 for kids 4-11 and free for kids 3 and younger. Reservations required. For the adults, Sunday drink specials include $3 Miller and Coors Light 20-ounce drafts; $14 Miller and Coors Light Buckets, $5 Absolut Bloody Marys and $5 jumbo flavored Long Island Iced Teas.

Real Time Sports Bar

1120 W. Devon Ave., Elk Grove Village, (847) 534-5000 or realtimesportsbar.com/.

Halloween Party: 7:30 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. Put on your costume and head to the bar between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. to register for the costume contest. There will be three winners and prizes for most fun/creative costumes. Contestants must be present at 10:30 p.m. to win.

Skeleton Key Brewery

8102 Lemont Road, Suite 300, Woodridge, (630) 395-9033 or skeletonkeybrewery.com/.

Halloween Party: 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. It's a Halloween party, so costumes are encouraged even though there aren't contests. Grumpy Gaucho Empanada Truck will be on-site for eats. Gather a team to play free "Stranger Things" trivia at 7 p.m. (no reservations are required; prizes for the top teams). Plus, give the CluedIn Pop-up Escape Room a go. Reserve a time at cluedinescaperooms.com/ (search for Oct. 27 and then look for "Skeleton Key Escape Room"). No cover.

Two Brothers Roundhouse

205 N. Broadway, Aurora, (630) 264-2739 or twobrothersbrewing.com/restaurants/roundhouse/.

Halloween Party: 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. DJ Jayrock will be spinning tunes all night. Wear your best costume for Two Brothers prizes. No cover. 21 and older.