Community Corner
HIGHWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOSTS FOURTH ANNUAL PUMPKIN FEST - 3-DAY FESTIVAL GOES FOR TWO GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ATTEMPTS!
HIGHWOOD, IL (OCTOBER
17-20, 2013) -It’s that time of year again – the Highwood Chamber of
Commerce is proud to present the 4th
annual Great Pumpkin Festival October 17-19! With the goal of bringing communities
together, the Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival was created in 2009, and has
grown exponentially each year thereafter. Highwood is thrilled to host TWO
Guinness World Record attempts on-site this year.
MOST PEOPLE CARVING
SIMULTANEOUSLY on Thursday, October 17th at 7pm
Find out what's happening in Highland Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
MOST LIT
JACK-O’-LANTERNS ON DISPLAY (First Attempt) Friday, October 18th at
8:30pm
Find out what's happening in Highland Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
MOST LIT
JACK-O’-LANTERNS ON DISPLAY Saturday, October 19th at 7:30pm
RAIN DATE FOR MOST
LIT JACK-O-LANTERS ON DISPLAY, Sunday October 20th
Come to Highwood to be a part of record-breaking history in
2013!
In addition to breaking records, Highwood's massive
three-day festival is full of family-friendly events every day including
pumpkin carving, massive pumpkin displays, grand lighting ceremonies, hay
rides, the light up the night parade, a pet costume contest, pumpkin pie eating
contest, and 5K Pumpkin Run, Walk and Kids’ Dash and head shaving event to
benefit St. Baldrick's
Foundation, an organization created to raise awareness and funding of
childhood cancers. The festival will culminate
with the 5K/Kids’ Dash on October 20th at 9am, also benefitting the
Foundation.
Pumpkin Fest grounds will be full of seasonal food vendors
galore, live music, pony rides, petting zoo, and much more! The perfect fall event,
Pumpkin Fest will attract people from across the country to celebrate the
season!
Culminating on Sunday, October 20th at 9am, the 5K Pumpkin Run, Walk and
Kids' Dash will bring some 1,000 participants to town in an effort to raise
awareness and support for the St.
Baldrick’s Foundation. Participants will run and walk from Waukegan Avenue and
Walker, in front of The Bent Fork Bakery,
while passing by more than 30,000 carved pumpkins to celebrate the season and
to raise money and awareness for a great cause. Costumes are welcome! Beginning
October 5th, the cost of the race will increase from $35 to $45 for Run/Walk
and from $10 to $15 for the Kids’ Dash. Online run registration will close
Saturday, October 17th. Sign up here: http://highwoodpumpkinrun.racebx.com/
The rest of Sunday, October 20th will be reserved
as a rain date. The full schedule of events and activities is as follows:
Thursday, Oct. 17th,
4-10pm -
4-10pm – Gourmet market with seasonal artisan food and
drinks with pumpkin flare, live music, pony rides, petting zoo, hay rides,
pumpkin carving, children’s activities, and so much more!
7pm – Guinness World Records attempt for the Most People
Carving at Once benefiting Superman
Sam, a local boy battling leukemia and St. Baldrick's Foundation, in
the Nite N’ Gale parking lot, 346 Sheridan Road. Over 1,000 carvers are needed
to carve a 24-pound pumpkin for five minutes, simultaneously, and encouraged to
show up in superhero capes in support of Superman Sam! Event is free and pumpkins and carving tools
will be provided to all who show up.
Friday, Oct. 18th,
4-10pm -
4-10pm – Gourmet market with seasonal artisan food and
drinks with pumpkin flare, live music, pony rides, petting zoo, hay rides,
pumpkin carving, children’s activities, and so much more!
4-6pm – Trick-or-Treat Scavenger Hunt with designated
locations, goodies, and fun for costumed visitors.
8pm – Lighting begins
for the first Guinness World Record attempt for Most Pumpkins Carved and Lit at
Once.
8:30pm – “Light up the Night” Pumpkin Parade with a New
Orleans feel to go down Waukegan Avenue. Plenty of performances, music,
dancing, lights, and glow sticks to go around!
9pm – The first attempt to break the record for most
pumpkins carved and lit at once will be announced.
Saturday, Oct. 19th,
10am-10pm -
10am-10pm – Gourmet market with seasonal artisan food and
drinks with pumpkin flare, live music, pony rides, petting zoo, hay rides,
pumpkin carving, children’s activities, and so much more!
1 pm – Pumpkin Pie
Eating Contest at the Metra Lot North stage presented by Highwood's Bent Fork Bakery. With
categories for children and adults, pumpkin pie loving speed eaters are
encouraged to enter. Those that finish their pie first will win a prize!
2 pm– Pet Costume Contest at the Main stage in which festival
attendees are encouraged to bring their best dressed pets! Registration fee is
$10 per entry. Contestants can pre-register their pets at www.PlacingPawsRescue.org. All
registrants will receive a “doggy bag”, including fun items for their pups such
as Pumpkin Fest bandanas, treats and more! Day-of registration will begin at
10am at the Placing Paws booth. The event is sponsored by Camp Dogwood, ROOT Dog
Training and High Hopes, with
proceeds benefiting the Placing Paws
Rescue organization.
3-6pm – St. Baldrick’s head shaving event. Brave head
shavees are encouraged to form teams and raise money for pediatric cancer
research. Register as a shavee here: http://www.stbaldricks.org/events/pumpkinfest
6:45pm – Lighting begins for the second Guinness World
Record attempt for Most Pumpkins Carved and Lit at Once. Grand Lighting of the pumpkin walls! Walls of
lit up jack-o-lanterns, up to 30 feet high, will line the streets of downtown
Highwood – a truly magnificent sight.
8:30pm – Winner of Fiat Raffle announced and Record Breaking
Announcement made.
Rain date for lighting will be Sunday October 20th.
Sunday, Oct. 20th,
9am
9am –5K
Pumpkin Run, Walk and Kids Dash presented by Midtown Athletic Club benefiting St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Midtown
will be onsite offering pre-race warm ups and cooldown activities. Whole Foods is providing post-race
healthful fare.
Music Schedule each
day:
Thursday October 17th
Main Stage
Saturday, October
19th
Main Stage
12:30- 1:30 pm Butterfly In Traffic
2- 3 pm Pet Costume Contest
4-5 pm Radio Disney
12:00-1:00 pm Lisa Zarov
1:00-2:00 pm Pumpkin Pie eating contest
2:30-3:30 pm Matt
Fedderman & Danny Shaffer
4:00-5:00 pm Jelly
Bone Blues Band
5:30-6:30 pm Sticky
7:00-7:45 pm Highwood School of Rock
8:15-9:30 pm Rally
Day
Highwood Pumpkin Fest admission is a suggested donation of $2
per person, per day in order to cover pumpkin cost. All additional money
collected will go directly to St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Highwood Pumpkin Fest
is made possible by sponsors including: Walgreen’s,
Burris Equipment, Whole Foods Market, ULINE Shipping Supply Specialists, The
Home Depot, TribLocal,
Fields Auto Group, Grand
Flowers, WCIU You & Me
This Morning, The VITI Companies,
State
Farm Brian Lock Agency, Power Home
Remodeling Group, Patch 22, Midtown Athletic Club, McHenry County Visitors Bureau, Enjoy Illinois, Little Tommy’s Plumbing, Anthem Propane Exchange, Waukegan Tire, The Home Improvement Network, Women in the Know, Klein Thorpe and Jenkins, Ltd, Bank of Highwood-Fort Sheridan, Safari Childcare, Scott McDougall Photography, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Highland Park Nursing & Rehab Center, 94.7 WLS, Chiro
One, Yelp, Advanced Disposal, Van Gogh Vodka, Beam Global Brands (Red Stag by Jim Beam,
Jim Beam Devil’s Cut, Cruzan Rum, Skinnygirl, Hornitos Tequila, Pinnacle Vodka),
312, Bud Light, Monster, The Loesch Brothers, The Music Gallery, Elisabeth
Geltz @Properties, Kim
Kelley @Properties, Jameson-Sotheby’s
International Realty, Shelley
Lurie Milestone Realty, Baird &
Warner, Griffith, Grant & Lackie
Realtors, and Carol
Santi Coldwell Banker.
Highwood is located just 28
miles north of Chicago, east of I-294 and Route 41 off the Half Day Road exits.
Pumpkin Festival takes place in Downtown Highwood along Waukegan Road/Sheridan
Avenue and in the Highwood Metra train station parking lot. Parking is free throughout
downtown Highwood. There will be additional parking to the North of event
grounds, and at Highland Park High School (433 Vine Ave. Highland Park, IL
60035). Shuttles will run to and from the North side of event grounds on
Thursday, October 17th from 5-10pm, Friday, October 18th
from 5-10pm, and Saturday, October 19th from 11am-10pm. Shuttles
will also run to and from HPHS on Friday, October 18th from 5-10pm,
and Saturday, October 19th from 11am-10pm. Additionally, the Metra train will have a special “Pumpkin Express”
train schedule, available for all Pumpkin Fest attendees! The Union Pacific North line train numbers
822 (Inbound) and 817 and 821 (Outbound) will make stops at Highwood on
Saturday, October 19th.
For more information on the festival, or to sign up to be a
volunteer or participate in one of the contests, please visit www.highwoodpumpkinfest.com, or
call 847-432-6000.
ABOUT ST.
BALDRICK’S FOUNDATION
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity
committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood
cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. St. Baldrick’s coordinates
its signature head-shaving events worldwide where participants collect pledges
to shave their heads in solidarity with kids with cancer, raising money to fund
research. Since 2005, St. Baldrick’s has awarded more than $125 million to
support lifesaving research, making the Foundation the largest private funder
of childhood cancer research grants. St. Baldrick’s funds are granted to some
of the most brilliant childhood cancer research experts in the world and to
younger professionals who will be the experts of tomorrow. Funds awarded also
enable hundreds of local institutions to participate in national pediatric
cancer clinical trials, and the new International Scholar grants train
researchers to work in developing countries. For more information about the St.
Baldrick’s Foundation please call 1.888.899.BALD or visit www.StBaldricks.org.
ABOUT
MIDTOWN ATHLETIC CLUBS
Midtown Athletic Clubs is a leader in the upscale fitness club
and sports resort industry. What began as a single tennis club in Chicago in
1970, Midtown is now comprised of 10 full-service tennis and fitness facilities
throughout the United States and Canada. Locations in Illinois include Chicago,
Bannockburn, Oak Park, Palatine and Willowbrook. Other clubs are operated in
Atlanta, GA; Overland Park, KS; Rochester, NY; Weston, FL and Montreal, QC.
Midtown features a variety of dynamic tennis programs, the latest cardio and
strength training equipment, group fitness classes, personal training and spa
services. The clubs offer a warm, inviting atmosphere and provide a special
place to connect with family, make new friends and get fit. For more
information on Midtown Athletic Club in Bannockburn, call (847) 945-1818 or
visit www.midtown.com.
ABOUT
WHOLE FOODS MARKET
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoodsmarket.com)
is the leading retailer of natural and organic foods and America's first
national “Certified Organic” grocer. In fiscal year 2012, the Company
had sales of approximately $12 billion and currently has 355 stores in the
United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods Market employs
approximately 76,000 team members and has been ranked for 16 consecutive years
as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by Fortune magazine.
ABOUT THE HIGHWOOD
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The Highwood Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to promoting
and improving the business community in Highwood, Illinois. The Chamber
continues to improve the unique and vibrant city through special events,
cultivating new business, and implementing successful business strategies.
Known as a “regional chamber”, Highwood provides businesses from all over
Illinois and Wisconsin with valuable networking opportunities. 2013 marks the
50th anniversary for the Highwood Chamber.
The Highwood Chamber of Commerce is located at 445 Sheridan
Road, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 305, Highwood, IL 60040. For more
information, please visit www.highwoodchamberofcommerce.com,
www.celebratehighwood.com, or
call 847.433.2100.
