City of Highwood Asks "Are You Tough Enough?"

First Annual “Tough Man/Woman BBQ contest” kicks off yearlong celebration of events!

HIGHWOOD, IL (JANUARY 2012) – The City of Highwood, Illinois is proud to be celebrating their 125th year and to commemorate, they are pleased to offer a myriad of events for the outlying communities to join in on the fun! Beginning with The Tough Man/Woman BBQ contest, Highwood is calling all BBQ afficianados to come to their great city and kick things off (and up!) with their best BBQ recipes on Friday, March 2. The 20 person cook-off will coincide with the first annual Sky Lantern Festival March 3, and will culminate with a spectacular display of papered candle airborne lanterns lit by citizens and representatives of the City of Highwood launched into the night sky. All while enjoying the winning BBQ dishes of course!

The Tough Man Barbecue Challenge will begin on Friday, March 2nd, allowing participants to have 24 hours to cook. They may come and set up anytime on Friday and they may cook all through the night, with the competition concluding on Saturday, March 3rd, with judging promptly at 11:00 am. Participants will bring their own barbecue equipment (pit, smoker or backyarder) and RAW meat (no pre-marinating, soaking or spicing!) and cook into the night in preparation for judgement day the next morning. All cooked meat will be served to Illinois Veteran Support Organizations with food banks. Upon judging, free samples will be handed out to the community to taste test all the winners!

Additional rules as follows:
1. All meat must be brought to the cooking site RAW and read for inspection. No meat is allowed to leave the site after it’s been inspected.
2. Participants can choose which meat they will be cooking.
3. Cooking begins Friday evening based on competitor cooking times, and heat must be ceased at 11 am for judging to begin. Winner announced at noon. 

In addition, the Barbeque Challenge will coincide with a full listing of events to bring barbeque afficianados and more from near and far to Highwood to eat BBQ, prove their stregnth and celebrate the 125th anniversary of Highwood including a 5k Battle Buddy Fitness Challenge, live music and performances in all Highwood businesses, and a launching of Sky Lanterns into the sky to commemorate the City of Highwood’s 125th anniversary.

“We are so excited to launch our 125th Anneversary celebration with the addition of the Tough Man/Woman Barbeque Competition and Sky Lantern Festival this year,” says Highwood City Alderman Eric Falberg. “The elements surrounding the event depict our community so well- we love to eat, visit with neighbors and spread the love. Why not combine them all by offering the community a Barbeque Challenge and Sky Lantern launch?!”

The first 20 to sign up will be included in the Free competition. Particpants can inquire via info@highwoodchamberofcommerce.com.

The City of Highwood is proud to play host to its popular lineup of festivals that are back by popular demand. The Sky Lantern Festival will mark the beginning of the summer season of celebration on March 3. On June 20, both the Farmer’s Market and the North Shore Flea Market will run every Wednesday through September. On June 24, the Third Annual Bloody Mary Festival will showcase dozens of vendors and the professional/amateur Bloody Mary Contest and on July 18 visitors can enjoy The Second Annual Garlic Fest. The festivities will continue on September 12th when the First Annual Inferno Fest makes its debut, and finish Oct. 18-20 with the famous, Guinness world record-breaking Annual Great Highwood Pumpkin Fest. 

About The City of Highwood 
Highwood was founded in 1868 by William Wallace Everts, a Chicago civic leader and world-renown educator. His concept of a family-based community has endured for more than a century. The beautiful Everts Park, in the heart of downtown Highwood, has been named in the founder’s honor. Benches and trees in the park celebrate and remember people who, through turbulent times and peaceful ones, built and sustained the community. Many of Highwood’s street names recall Everts’ family and friends whom the founder encouraged to build homes here. Residents of Swedish, Irish, Italian, Latino and other heritages have since populated the community, each enriching the community through their cultural traditions. 
The Village of Highwood was incorporated in 1887. The name briefly became Village of Fort Sheridan and then City of Fort Sheridan. In 1904, the community officially became known as the City of Highwood. Fort Sheridan, a former army base northeast of the City, has had a profound influence on Highwood’s development, and it continues to do so today as part of its land, incorporated into the City, nearly doubled Highwood in size. Today, Highwood is blending the past and present with exciting new plans for its future.
The City of Highwood, IL administrative offices are located at 17 Highwood Avenue
Highwood, Illinois 60040.  For more information, please visit http://www.celebratehighwood.com or  http://www.ctyofhighwood.com Tel: 847.432.1924.