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You are here: Home / Blog / Spooky and Fun Fall Decorations Abound in Champaign-Urbana

Spooky and Fun Fall Decorations Abound in Champaign-Urbana

October 11, 2020 By Kathy Richards

Go out, explore, see what you find and enjoy what you see in Champaign-Urbana (and beyond)

Decorating for fall is a fundamentally optimistic act. Whether you are celebrating a bountiful harvest, anticipating spooky Halloween hijinks, or simply defying the disappearing daylight, we can all unite behind the fantasy that winter will never actually arrive.

Dancing ghosts at Church and McKinley
At the corner of W. Church and N. McKinley, Champaign (chambanamoms.com photo)

Combine our friends’ and neighbors’ creativity with Central Illinois’s gorgeous autumn sunshine, and you just may find yourself spending an entire afternoon driving aimlessly around and stopping to take pictures whenever the inspiration hits. When you happen upon a Little Free Library sprouting seasonal decor, you know that Fall has officially arrived in Champaign-Urbana.

Little Free Library decorated for Halloween
On the 100 block of W. Pennsylvania, Urbana (chambanamoms.com photo)

Of course, we have a variety of articles highlighting more permanent and predictably photogenic aspects of our area:

  • Where to Instagram in Champaign-Urbana
  • 10+ Places to See Fall Colors in Champaign-Urbana
  • Where to Take Fall Family Photos in Champaign-Urbana

This post, however, is a little different — it’s about the ephemeral, the unexpected, the temporary.

Decorations on Devonshire
On the 1000 block of Devonshire Dr., Champaign (chambanamoms.com photo)

Even if a business has set up a fall photo backdrop for its customers to use, it’s somehow… extra. Will it still be there if you go back? Will the light be as perfect as it is right now?

Pumpkins at Curtis Orchard
Pumpkins and straw at Curtis Orchard, Champaign (chambanamoms.com photo)

It’s about the serendipity of stumbling upon something photogenic while you’re already out — maybe you’ll bring your kids back for a picture, maybe you’ll take a picture of someone else’s family because they’re Just. So. Cute.

Family photo at the Great Pumpkin Patch, Arthur
A very photogenic family (who gave their permission for us to use this photo) at the Great Pumpkin Patch, Arthur (chambanamoms.com photo)

This season we have found at least three other pumpkin-related places that cry out to you to stop and take a family photo:

Negangard Pumpkin Patch photo spot
Photo spot at Negangard’s Pumpkin Patch, Sidney (chambanamoms.com photo)
Pumpkins at Prairie Gardens
It’s still fall a little while longer — but only outside — at Prairie Gardens, Champaign (chambanamoms.com photo)
Photo wagon at Lake of the Woods
Photo backdrop or pumpkin explosion? Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve, Mahomet (chambanamoms.com photo)

Speaking of pumpkins, did you know that there’s a block of W. Washington St. in Champaign (between New and Harris) that turns its streetlights into jack-o-lanterns for Halloween? Each face on each light is different.

Pumpkin streetlight
On the 700 block of W. Washington, Champaign (chambanamoms.com photo)

Heading over toward downtown Champaign, have you looked up recently when crossing the street at Church and State?

Eden skeletons
At the corner of W. Church and N. State, Champaign (chambanamoms.com photo)
Eden skeletons
(chambanamoms.com photo)

How do you feel about spiders? Giant spiders?

Giant yard spider
On the 800 block of W. Pennsylvania, Urbana (chambanamoms.com photo)

After fleeing from this spider, we found a few more suspicious looking characters down the street…

Halloween yard in Urbana
On the 100 block of W. Pennsylvania, Urbana (chambanamoms.com photo)

… who chased us all the way down to Urbana’s Trails Drive.

Halloween decor on Trails Drive
On the 1500 block of Trails Dr., Urbana (photo provided)
Halloween decorations on Trails Drive
(photo provided)

We then took a long and meandering journey back home through the streets of Champaign; enjoy just a taste of the fall scenery found on our scaaaary streets. We have to say, the skeletons and spiderwebs are clearly winning 2020.

Halloween skeletons in Champaign yard
On the 400 block of S. New, Champaign (chambanamoms.com photo)
Halloween skeletons in Champaign yard
(chambanamoms.com photo)
gargoyles and skeletons in Champaign yard
On the 2000 block of Mayfair Rd. (chambanamoms.com photo)
Halloween yard decor
On the 1200 block of W. Healey, Champaign (chambanamoms.com photo)
Halloween yard decor in Champaign
Also on the 1200 block of W. Healey, Champaign (chambanamoms.com photo)
Graveyard decorations on W. Healey St.
On the 1100 block of W. Healey, Champaign (photo provided)
spiderweb on W. Healey St.
On the 800 block of W. Healey, Champaign (chambanamoms.com photo)
spiderweb on W. Healey St.
Spiders have definitely invaded the 800 block of W. Healey, Champaign (chambanamoms.com photo)

We hope these photos have given you the itch to Go Out and Look at Things.

Because winter is coming.

Skeletons at Starbucks
Starbucks on the corner of Springfield and Mattis, Champaign (chambanamoms.com photo)
Halloween yard at night
On the 1100 block of S. New, Champaign (photo provided)

Know of a place we should add to this list? Send info/pics to editor@chambanamoms.com

More fall fun:
Where to Take Fall Family Photos in Champaign-Urbana | Halloween Events in and around Champaign-Urbana | Drive Thru Halloween Events | Trick or Treating Safety Guidelines | Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes and Apple Picking |

Filed Under: Blog, Fall Activities, Outdoor Fun Tagged With: arthur, autumn, champaign, Curtis Orchard and Pumpkin Patch, Fall, family, foliage, Great Pumpkin Patch, Halloween decor, holiday photos, kid, kids, lake of the woods forest preserve, leaf, leaves, Mahomet, Negangard Pumpkin Patch, photo backdrop, photography, photos, picture, Pictures, prairie gardens, Sidney, urbana

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