Celebrate Highwood Announces Summer and Fall Line-Up of 2019 Series of Family Friendly Festivals and Events
Celebrate Highwood, known for its annual series of family-friendly festivals, invites the public to partake in its 2019 line-up of events this summer and fall, including: North Shore Pride Fest, the weekly Wednesday Evening Gourmet Market, Inferno Fest, North Shore Taco Fest & Highwood Days, The North Shore Taco Run 5K, Bloody Mary Fest, Garlic Fest, Nashwood, and The Great Highwood Pumpkin Fest. The fun doesn't stop there - Celebrate Highwood plans for its annual winter event, the Elf Invasion Pub Crawl, to keep the festivities going through the end of the year.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Celebrate Highwood's acclaimed Bloody Mary and Great Highwood Pumpkin Festivals, and the third season as an official 501(c)(3) with the mission of raising funds for worthy non-profit organizations through its festivals and events. Although all festivals are FREE to the public, a portion of proceeds benefit various charities.
Celebrate Highwood's 2019 events:
· 7th Annual North Shore Pride Fest
June 1st, noon-bar close
Benefiting the LGBTQ North Shore School District 113 Spectrum Club
This family friendly/all-ages day-long event kicks off Pride Month, with a Pride Family Picnic in Everts Park, Family Friendly Drag Show, Best Dressed Contest, and Taste the Rainbow Pub Crawl (adult only) to support the LGBTQ community. Conveniently located within walking distance of the Highwood Metra Train station, the Pride Family Picnic in Everts Park, 130 Highwood Avenue, will be held from noon-3 p.m., followed by the Family Friendly Drag Show at 5 p.m. and the Taste the Rainbow (adult only) Pub Crawl throughout Downtown Highwood restaurants and bars from 6 p.m.-bar close with food/drink specials and live music at all stops.
· 11th Season of Highwood's Wednesday Evening Gourmet Market, Everts Park (130 Highwood Ave.)
June 5th-August 28th, 4:30-9:30 p.m.
In its 11th season, these markets are recognized as one of the best outdoor markets on the North Shore. This family and pet friendly event features live music, dancing under the stars, freshly prepared delicacies from local restaurants and food trucks, and creative cocktails. Attendees can shop for locally made artisan breads, sauces, cheeses, pastas and sweets in addition to handmade jewelry, fashion and art.
· Inferno Fest, Everts Park
Wednesday, June 26th, 4:30-9:30 p.m.
Daring food enthusiasts have lots of hot and spicy foods to try and even partake in the spiciest inferno food competition. This great event, complete with milk angels, is sure to add heat to your summer night.
· 4th Annual North Shore Taco Fest & Highwood Days,
Highwood Metra Station Parking Lot
Thursday, July 18th- Sunday, July 21st
North Shore Taco Fest brings together the region's best taco-centric restaurants, caterers and food trucks to offer a wide range of mouth-watering taco creations, along with full beer and margarita garden. Complete with carnival rides, live music and tons of food from local vendors, this is the most traditional festival that does not disappoint.
· 3rd Annual North Shore Taco Run 5K
Saturday, July 20th, 9 a.m.
Benefitting Highland Park-Highwood Legal Aid Clinic
· 10th Annual Bloody Mary Fest, Everts Park
Sunday, July 28th, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Dozens of vendors from near and far vie for the titles of 'Best Bloody Mary,' and the 'People's Choice'! In 2018, this event attracted a crowd of 10,000 people from all over Chicagoland eager to sample a variety of different Bloody Mary cocktail creations and food inspirations.
· 9th Annual Garlic Fest, Everts Park
Wednesday, August 14th, 4:30-9:30 p.m.
This fun, food-filled event showcases the ever-popular taste of Garlic. Attendees come to
sample a variety of sweet and savory garlic creations from out-of- the-ordinary garlic ice cream, candy, cupcakes and cocktails, to the more usual pastas, sauces, breads, and butters. Held during the Highwood Evening Gourmet Market, the fest features a Taste of Garlic Competition for the best Savory and Sweet creations, as well as the ever popular Garlic Royalty Competition.
· 3rd Annual Nashwood, Downtown Highwood
Friday, August 30th-Sunday, September 1st
The buzz is ablaze as the City of Highwood transforms its Downtown business district into Honkey Tonk Row. Country, blues, classic and southern rock sounds will radiate from over 20 bars and restaurants beginning Friday happy hour and running all day and evening Saturday and Sunday. Some 100 musical performances will be showcased in both indoor and outdoor venues.
· The 10th Annual Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival, Downtown Highwood
Friday, October 11th-Sunday, October 13th
Celebrating its tenth year, The Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival is the biggest outdoor celebration on the North Shore featuring nightly jack-o-lantern lightings as Highwood vies for the world record for the most carved pumpkins in one place. This celebration features pumpkin-filled walls throughout the festival grounds, ceremonial wall lightings, all you can carve pumpkins, trick or treating, costume contests, pony rides, a petting zoo, carnival rides, kids crafts, four stages jam packed with live music, food and beverage vendors and much more! The Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival has partnered with Make-A-Wish Illinois with the goal of raising enough funds to grant wishes to children with critical illnesses in Illinois.
· Superhero 5K Pumpkin Run/Walk
October 12th at 9 a.m.
To honor Highwood's hometown hero 'Superman Sam' Samuel Asher Sommer, a Make-A
Wish recipient, event organizers are encouraging all participants to come dressed in their favorite superhero costume in solidarity to help raise money and awareness for Make-A- Wish Illinois children.
· 2nd Annual Elf Invasion Pub Crawl
December 7th, 7 p.m.-bar close
After a successful first year, once again Celebrate Highwood is calling all elves to come out and get "Elfed Up' at the 2nd Annual "Elf Invasion Pub Crawl." The public is invited to channel their inner elf, dress the part and join the pack of elves as they visit the City of Highwood's most popular establishments to enjoy live music, food & drink specials and raffle prizes.
"Our family friendly festivals and events bring communities together to celebrate what's great about the North Shore," says Eric Falberg, President of Celebrate Highwood and Highwood Alderman.
The inaugural North Shore Taco Fest event in July 2016 was the first initiative that provided the seed money necessary to establish working capital for the formation of a 501(c)(3). The Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival, which has always given back to the community, has evolved into an internationally recognized event raising thousands of dollars for charities to date, and successfully raised $140K for Make-A-Wish Illinois since 2016.
For more information on all of Celebrate Highwood festivals and events please visit www.CelebrateHighwood.org or LIKE us on Facebook www.facebook.com/celebratehighwood. To volunteer and/or make a donation visit https://www.celebratehighwood.org/donate-support/
or call 847-432-6000.
ABOUT CELEBRATE HIGHWOOD:
Celebrate Highwood is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity established in August 2016. Managed and operated by volunteers, our mission is to bring community together to raise funds for local and national charities. Through producing events that cater to the citizens, businesses and visitors of Highwood, our goal is give back, build strong community spirit, and establish Highwood as THE prime entertainment destination for dining, festivals and events on the North Shore. For more information on all of Highwood's festivals, please visit www.CelebrateHighwood.org, www.facebook.com/celebratehighwood, or call 847-432-6000.