Apple Fest Is Here: Ravenswood Kicks Off Its Biggest Fall Weekend With 39 Years of Tradition on Lincoln Avenue
By Socialhood News · Ravenswood ·
Fall in Ravenswood doesn't just arrive — it announces itself. And this weekend, that announcement comes in the form of bushels of fresh-picked apples, live music, and thousands of neighbors flooding N. Lincoln Avenue for the 39th Annual Lincoln Square Ravenswood Apple Fest. The beloved street festival runs today, Friday, October 2, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., then continues Saturday, October 3, and Sunday, October 4, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days — making this a full three-day celebration right in the heart of the neighborhood.
The festival takes over N. Lincoln Avenue between W. Lawrence and W. Sunnyside Avenues, with its hub at Giddings Plaza (4733 N. Lincoln Ave.). Presented by the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce, Apple Fest has grown into one of the North Side's signature autumn events over nearly four decades, and this year's edition carries on every tradition that's made it a calendar anchor. Admission is $5, and for that you get access to one of the most densely packed, community-rooted street festivals Chicago puts on all year.
What's on offer? Plenty. Vendors are bringing fresh-picked apples, cider, and seasonal farm favorites straight from Midwest farms, alongside apple-inspired dishes from local restaurants and food vendors. Hard cider and seasonal beers round out the sipping options for adults, while a full marketplace of artists, makers, and local businesses gives neighbors a chance to shop small and discover what's being made right in their own community. Live music and DJs keep the energy up across all three days, and family entertainment and hands-on kids activities make Apple Fest one of the rare fall festivals that genuinely works for every age group on the block.
For Ravenswood residents, Apple Fest is more than a fun weekend out — it's a living expression of what makes this neighborhood distinct. The corridor along Lincoln Avenue has long been a gathering spine for the community, and the fest transforms it into a three-day outdoor living room. Thirty-nine years in, the event has the kind of institutional weight that only comes from generations of neighbors choosing to show up year after year. Kids who came with their parents in the early 2000s are now bringing their own children. That continuity is exactly what community feels like.
And Apple Fest is just the opening act for a packed October calendar in Ravenswood. Mark October 16 on your calendar for Spirits of Ravenswood, hosted at the Ravenswood Event Center at 4025 N. Ravenswood Ave. — a neighborhood favorite that draws on the area's deep creative and community roots for a night of seasonal celebration. Then, later in the month, the GRCC's Ravenswood Costume Crawl returns on October 28, running from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. along Montrose and Ravenswood Avenue — complete with an After Party. Two days later, on October 30, the Montrose Monster Mash closes out the month. Ravenswood's fall season, in other words, is just getting started.
If you're heading to Apple Fest this weekend — and you should be — the Friday evening window from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. today offers a slightly quieter entry point before the weekend crowds build. Saturday and Sunday both open at 9 a.m., giving early risers first pick of the farm vendors and the freshest apple haul. Giddings Plaza at 4733 N. Lincoln Ave. is easily reachable by the Brown Line (Damen stop) or by bike along the Lincoln Avenue corridor. The $5 admission goes toward sustaining one of the neighborhood's most enduring community traditions — a pretty good deal for a full day of fall in Ravenswood.
Sources:
1. https://www.choosechicago.com/event/lincoln-square-ravenswood-apple-fest-2026/2026-10-03/
2. https://www.choosechicago.com/event/series/lincoln-square-ravenswood-apple-fest-2026/
3. https://ravenswoodcommunityservices.org/events/
4. https://ravenswoodchicago.org/signature-events/
5. https://ravenswoodchicago.org/