What's in a name? Why East Dundee is calling it the 'Turkey Festival'

If you go to East Dundee's inaugural Turkey Festival, you will be part of a holiday experiment and learning curve.

Since they started coordinating the Nov. 25 event months ago, planners have already learned that social media is not a friend of the word "testicle," so they dropped it and are calling it the "Turkey Festival."

"Facebook would not accept that word; it viewed it as having a sexual reference," said Cliff Surges, a leading organizer. "We had problems with other parts of the Internet kicking it back to us, too."

To give it a marketing edge, it was dropped. The essence of the 11-hour festival was not, though, and three local restaurants will come up with their own recipes for a male turkey's parts.

"Emmett's Brewing Company in West Dundee, Blues BBQ in East Dundee and the Randall Roadhouse in Carpentersville will compete for the best recipe that includes testicles," Surges said. "We'll have a panel of judges that will declare the winner."

Turkey testicle festivals are not new to Northern Illinois. For decades, the Parkside Pub in Huntley, has hosted one for thousands of revelers the day before Thanksgiving. Originally, there was a bit of a cry of "turf jumping" and "copycatting" when East Dundee planners proposed their own festival that was to be held on the same day and in a similar manner.

That didn't last, Surges said. East Dundee's festival is being marketed as a gourmet event with beer and other food being sold. To separate it further from Huntley's festival, it will include a fundraising meat raffle for the East Dundee Volunteer Firefighters' Association.

The festival will begin at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Instead of in a bar, it will be held in a tent along North River Street, near the Dundee Depot, 319 N. River St. The meat raffle, which will run from 1:30-4 p.m., will be in the same tent.

Local firefighters have hosted meat raffles near Thanksgiving since the 1960s. In the past, they have purchased a truckload of turkeys, hams and slabs of bacon and given them to the winners of 50-cent raffle tickets.

Combining the two events is where the learning curve comes in, said firefighter and association Vice President Nick Arneson.

"(Holding the raffle during a larger festival) is something we have never done before. We don't know what to expect," Arneson said. "We're hoping to make as much money as possible, so we can buy Christmas presents for local children and give some money to the Odd Fellows (club) to buy food for needy families."

Firefighters will be able to keep the proceeds of their raffle. The Dundee foundation, the festival's planner, will keep the proceeds from the $5 admission.

The foundation is a not-for-profit group that works to support businesses and events throughout the year. Foundation board members, which includes East Dundee and Sleepy Hollow residents, will donate $1,500 for the firefighters to buy the meat.

To keep attendees entertained, local bands will play, including 7th Heaven from 8-10 p.m. Other bands include Mason Rivers from 6 to 8 p.m., Cinful from 4 to 6 p.m. and HiFi Superstar from noon to 2 p.m.

People who attend should know the festival is another part of the Discover Dundee campaign, which draws attention to the community development plan on North River Street, said Cathy Domagalski.

She is the Dundee promotion and marketing manager.

"We're hoping that when the festival ends (at 10 p.m.) people will stay in the area and go to local restaurants. We want people to get to know this area and see all of the improvements that have been made to it in the last two years."

"And what better night to do this than the night before Thanksgiving when college kids are home and local people have relatives over for the holidays?" asked Surges. "The night before Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the most popular nights to go to a bar."

Five or six hours after the festival begins, Surges and his colleagues will learn if that's true. They are hoping for 2,500 people to attend.

For details about the festival, visit www.eastdundee.net.

A tradition continues: The Parkside Pub's Turkey Testicle Festival

East Dundee is new to the game, but the Turkey Testicle Festival at the Parkside Pub in Huntley has been going on for more than 30 years, and the tradition will continue. The 33rd annual Turkey Testicle Festival in Huntley kicks off Wednesday, Nov. 25, with a lineup of bands from 1 p.m. until midnight. Featured bands include 7th Heaven, which will perform from 1 to 4 p.m. followed by Modern Day Romeos from 5 to 8 p.m. Headlining for the first time is 16 Candles playing from 9 p.m. until midnight. Tickets are on sale now. The cost is $20 for a VIP pass, and $50 for a Platinum pass, which includes access to a dedicated area, the bar, exclusive toilets, and hanging with the bands before and after sets. Passes and lanyards will be issued at the door after check-in. Sandwiches, pizza slices and turkey parts will be available for $5 or less. Attendees must be 21 or older. A state-issued ID is required at the door.

For tickets, visit <a href="http://turkey-testicle-festival.ticketleap.com/">turkey-testicle-festival.ticketleap.com</a>/.