HGTV to Air Show About Highwood's Pumpkin Fest

Did you see Highwood's third attempt to light 32,000 jack-o-lanterns? Then catch HGTV's 'Pumpkin Wars' on Halloween to see what you missed.

Highwood's third annual pumpkin festival sought to break three world records, including lighting 32,000 jack-o-lanterns at once.  Want Highland Park news in your inbox every morning? Subscribe to Patch's newsletter. Whether or not that record was broken remains unknown, but one thing is certain: the festival was big enough to get itself documented on HGTV. Home & Garden Television will air "Pumpkin Wars" on Halloween at 8 p.m. and again at 11 p.m. The program will focus on Property Brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott as they travel to Highwood and Keene, N.H. to watch these two cities compete for most carved and displayed jack-o-lanterns. "It’s such a massive, massive thing for what is truly a small community," the show's producer Danny …

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1,000 Flags Kick Off Festival Season

Officials will decorate the city in over 1,000 American flags in lead up to Flag Day.

Eric Falberg was in York, Pennsylvania, when he saw 7,000 American flags placed in the grass at Prospect Hill Cemetery to honor soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Moved by the image, the Highwood alderman decided to bring the idea home.  Want Highland Park news in your inbox every morning? Subscribe to Patch's newsletter. "We have a rich history here in Highwood with the military," Falberg said. On Tuesday at 5 p.m., Falberg will join Highwood Mayor Charlie Pecaro as well as other city officials to decorate the town with 1,000 American flags as a kickoff to Flag Day and Highwood's Summer festival season, which begins Wednesday with the Gourmet Farmers Market from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. "We put them in the ground a foot and a …

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Highwood Claims It Broke Pumpkin Record

Highwood officials say the city has surpassed Boston in Guinness Book of World Records.

30,919. That's the number of jack-o-lanterns the city of Highwood claims they carved for last weekend's Pumpkin Festival.  If judges from the Guinness Book of World Records agree with Highwood's tally, then the city will hold the new record for lit jack-o-lanterns. Boston previously held the record with 30,128. Earlier: Highwood Pumpkin Fest Recap Video “When every pumpkin was lit and the street lights were shut off, the reaction of the crowd was worth every pumpkin’s weight in gold,” said Highwood Mayor Charlie Pecaro. This was Highwood's second attempt at the world record. They tried last year at its first Highwood Pumpkin Fest and carved 26,287 pumpkins. Of course, the pumpkin carving was only one part of the four day festival that …

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VIDEO: How Highwood's Pumpkin Fest Came Together

Alderman and event organizer Eric Falberg explains the jack-o-lantern record-attempt.

The Third Annual Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival was held over this past weekend. For the third time, thousands of guests joined Highwood residents in the effort to carve and light 30,000 jack-o-lanterns in an effort to break Boston's world record. Earlier: Did Highwood Bread the Jack-O-Lantern record? The celebration has grown every year. This year there were numerous activities, including food and drinks, live music, a farmer's and arts and crafts market, a petting zoo, pony rides and even a small carnival. As festivities drew to a close Saturday night, Eric Falberg, 4th Ward Alderman and one of Pumpkinfest's organizers, announced that according to the tally they had reached the 30,000 jack-o-lanterns required to break the record. A …

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Highlands and Ravines

Third Time the Charm for Pumpkin Fest?

Highwood's 2011 jack-o-lantern record attempt is fast approaching.

In J.R.R. Tolkien's book The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins says, "Third time pays for all." Next week, the City of Highwood is out to prove that proverb, with the 2011 Highwood Pumpkin Fest on October 19-22. Over the last two years, Highwood has tried to set a new Guinness world record for the most carved jack-o-lanterns (lit pumpkins). The 2010 effort came surprisingly close, with 26,287 pumpkins up and down the center of Highwood. However, the record of 30,128, held by Boston, remains untouched. The 2011 edition of Pumpkin Fest has several changes over the prior years. First, there's a little competition -- the city of Keene, New Hampshire, is also after pumpkin bragging rights. Second, Highwood found the most enthusiastic, best source of …

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Highwood Challenges Keene, NH to Break Jack-O-Lantern Record

This year's Pumpkin Fest just got more interesting.

Last October, the City of Highwood attempted to break a jack-o-lantern record when it lit 26,287 pumpkins. The city didn't reach the 30,128 jack-o-lanterns it needed to make the Guiness World Record, but that's not stopping its residents from trying again. And this year, the challenge gets more interesting. Video: Pumpkin Fest 2010 Recap On Thursday, Highwood Mayor Charlie Pecaro challenged the mayor of Keene, New Hampshire to see which city could break the jack-o-lantern record. The original pumpkin festival began in Keene in 1991 before coming to Highwood in 2009. “We are accepting your challenge with open arms,” Keene Mayor P. Dale Pregent said. These community-hosted pumpkin festivals will be held at the same time. Each city will …

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Video: Great Highwood Pumpkin Patch Recap

Highwood's second annual pumpkin festival came close to breaking a world record.

Last weekend, the city of Highwood took on its ambitious attempt to break the world record for jack-o-lanterns. The four-day Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival ended Saturday night, with 26,283 pumpkins burning on walls lining the city's streets. The final tally was about 6,000 short of the 32,000 jack-o-lantern goal, but that hasn't stopped festival officials from setting the goal for 90,000 jack-o-lanterns in 2011. Miss the festival? See the video below for a pumpkin-filled recap, or check out our photo gallery.

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Highwood Festival Continues Carving Pumpkins

The Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival attracts thousands in a quest to break a world record.

Hundreds of costume clad children and adults trick or treated at local businesses and carved designs into pumpkins as part of Highwood's second annual Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival on Friday. Adam Keefner of Chicago brought his 10 month daughter, Rachel.  "We're here to start celebrating her first Halloween. She's having fun." The turnout was impressive, but not impressive as the pumpkins. The festival has set out with the goal to carve and light 32,000 of them Saturday night. Many of the pumpkins were designed with the traditional jack-o-lantern look, but some were themed with school pride and some were advertisements for local businesses. Although Halloween is not exactly a romantic holiday, other individuals made the most of the …

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