THE FIFTH ANNUAL GREAT HIGHWOOD PUMPKIN FEST RAISES OVER $50,000 FOR THE AUTISM SOCIETY OF ILLINOIS

HIGHWOOD, IL (OCTOBER 17-19, 2014) – The Autism Society of Illinois and the City of Highwood proudly partnered for an amazing Fifth Annual Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival October 17-19, 2014, raising over $50,000 after expenses to directly benefit individuals in Illinois affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders. Setting the Guinness World Record for most carved and lit pumpkins took a backseat to raising money for charity, however, as Highwood Alderman Eric Falberg, creator of Highwood Pumpkin Fest says, “Partnering with the Autism Society of Illinois was the best choice we could have made.”

Over 90,000 guests came out throughout the three days to carve over 21,000 pumpkins, enjoy seasonal pumpkin fare, dance to over 20 different live music acts, and view nightly pumpkin sky-high wall lighting ceremonies.

“Our goal was to carve and light a pumpkin representing each individual impacted by Autism in Illinois,“ states Mary Kay Betz, Autism Society of Illinois executive director. “It was an incredible sight to stand among the sea of pumpkins, each with a unique beauty all their own.”

Other fan favorite activities included: a Pet Costume Contest, Light Up the Night Parade, 5K Pumpkin Run/Walk & Kids’ Dash, Giant Pumpkin Maze, hay rides, pony rides, a petting zoo, carnival rides, kids’ crafts, and pumpkin beer tasting.

Festival organizers also debuted a brand new concept and layout this year, moving it across the train tracks to Green Bay Road and Everts Park to allow for a smaller community feel. Although the festival had the same footprint, the new layout allowed for more room to walk the grounds, larger carving sections, and plenty of food and craft vendors. While the charity focus steered the festival and pumpkin alley may not have had the same grandiose feel as it did in past years, the organizers hope to merge the two amazing concepts next year.

The Home Depot World’s Largest Pumpkin Maze was also added as a new attraction this year. All of the lumber was donated from The Home Depot and over 5,000 pumpkins were on display in the maze. In addition to the generous donation of lumber, The Home Depot provided 150 volunteers to help throughout the festival.

Even though Pumpkin Fest is over, there’s still time to raise funds and awareness for the Autism Society of Illinois! Click here to donate, then head over to the Highwood Library parking lot and grab some free pumpkins!

The quintessential Fall event, the Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival was created in 2009, and has grown exponentially each year, attracting people from across the country to celebrate the season and make a day or weekend out of it!

For updates on the 2015 Great Highwood Pumpkin Fest, please visit www.highwoodpumpkinfest.com.

About The City of Highwood

Highwood was founded in 1868 by William Wallace Everts, a Chicago civic leader and world-renown educator. His concept of a family-based community has endured for more than a century. The beautiful Everts Park, in the heart of downtown Highwood, has been named in the founder’s honor. Benches and trees in the park celebrate and remember people who, through turbulent times and peaceful ones, built and sustained the community. Many of Highwood’s street names recall Everts’ family and friends whom the founder encouraged to build homes here. Residents of Swedish, Irish, Italian, Latino and other heritages have since populated the community, each enriching the community through their cultural traditions.

The Village of Highwood was incorporated in 1887. The name briefly became Village of Fort Sheridan and then City of Fort Sheridan. In 1904, the community officially became known as the City of Highwood. Fort Sheridan, a former army base slightly northeast of the City, has had a profound influence on Highwood’s development, and it continues to do so today as part of its land, incorporated into the City, nearly doubled Highwood in size. Today, Highwood is blending the past and present with exciting new plans for its future.

The City of Highwood, IL administrative offices are located at 17 Highwood Avenue, Highwood, Illinois 60040. For more information, please visit www.cityofhighwood.com. Tel: 847.432.1924.

About the Autism Society of Illinois

The nation’s leading grassroots autism organization, the Autism Society exists to improve the lives of all affected by autism. They do this by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people with ASD, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy. For more information, visit http://www.autismillinois.org/.