Article updated: 11/21/2012 5:51 PM

Huntley Turkey Testicle Festival draws big crowd

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A Parkside Pub employee prepares a bowl of freshly fried turkey testicles.

BRIAN HILL | Staff Photographer

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Kelsey Malmstead of St. Charles, from left, Amy Malmstead of Moline, (back to camera) Sara Haddox and her brother Patrick Haddox both of St. Charles, don turkey hats while enjoying a drink at the Turkey Testicle Festival in Huntley. Parkside Pub workers will fried up about 1,200 pounds of testicles this year during the pub's 30th annual festival. The organizers are hoping for 4,500 guests this year, which would beat an attendance record set in 2011.

BRIAN HILL | Staff Photographer

For more than 15 years, the hands of Parkside Pub cook Julio Nieva have handled the preparation and cooking of the turkey testicles. All of it's done according to a secret recipe.

BRIAN HILL | Staff Photographer

BRIAN HILL/bhill@dailyherald.com A Parkside Pub deep fryer hard at work with just a few of the 1,200 pounds of testicles they are preparing for the annual festival in Huntley.

BRIAN HILL/bhill@dailyherald.com Chuck Kagel, of Elgin, throws down another fried testicle during the annual event. Parkside Pub planned to fry up about 1,200 pounds of testicles during their annual Turkey Testicle Festival in Huntley. The one-day event, in its 30th annual year, is always held the day before Thanksgiving.

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By 2 p.m. Wednesday, 475 people had descended on Huntley to nosh on a turkey part you probably won't see on Thanksgiving Day. The 30th annual Turkey Testicle Festival, held at the Parkside Pub downtown, serves up the namesake turkey organ by following a secret recipe, breading and deep frying it. “It’s not a food I want anything left over with,” Jeff Lovell, one of the pub's owners, said.