Goose 'droppings' part of fun at festival

Two years ago, Tom Miller and Howard Jaffe took an Alaskan fishing trip and in a town called Talkeetna saw a moose dropping festival.

Moose "chips" were dropped from a plane, Miller said, and the one that landed closest to a target earned one person a prize.

Closer to home, looking for a unique fundraiser for the Libertyville Sunrise Rotary Club, the thought went from moose to goose.

When planning the contest, many club members, including Libertyville Mayor Jeffrey Harger, thought it would be silly to just drop geese from the air.

"We thought, 'Why not make it more than a contest, make it an event?' " Miller said.

So the village partnered with the Rotary club to create the first Goose is Loose Festival last year.

The festival, including the goose droppings, will return Aug. 25 to the Libertyville Sports Complex.

Miller, who operates the Pet Factory in Mundelein, created rawhide shaped like a goose. The goose is attached by string to a small yellow plastic parachute.

The geese are then dropped from a lift 130 feet in the air that this year will be situated in the sports complex golf range.

Last year, 1,750 geese were purchased. Miller said this year they expect to sell all 3,000 geese.

Tickets cost $50 each can be bought at the Libertyville village hall and on the Web at www.goosedropping.com.

One person will walk away with the grand prize, which may be up to $50,000. Seven will win $1,000 prizes.

The festival will feature five to six local vendors selling food, including Mickey Finn's, which also will provide the beer tent.

There also will be fireworks, children's games and music, also provided by Mickey Finn's. Tribute band Betty Soul will cover tunes from the 1960s to 1990s.