Highwood Pumpkin Fest Returns With Carnival, Music, Contests

HIGHWOOD, IL — Highwood residents can mark their calendars for the 17th annual Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival, set for Oct. 2 through Oct. 4, with a community prelude scheduled the night before.

Celebrate Highwood announced the family-friendly event will bring three days of pumpkin carving, live music, costume contests, trick or treating, food and artisan vendors, full bars, a carnival and other activities to sites across the city.

Festival grounds will be spread throughout Highwood at Highwood City Hall, 17 Highwood Ave.; along Green Bay Avenue between Highwood and North avenues; at Everts Park, 111 North Ave.; and in the Highwood Metra Station parking lot, where the carnival will be located. The streets will also include food, drink and activity vendors, two large pumpkin walls and carving stations in front of City Hall and along North Avenue, and special activations including Culver’s “Curdtoberfest” and Micro NASCAR Racing sponsored by Field’s Auto Group.

Attendees will also find live music and contests on two stages throughout the festival grounds, including the J. Blanton Main Stage at North Avenue and Green Bay and the Everts Park Pavilion sponsored by American Place Casino. Contests will take place at Culver’s “Curdtoberfest” at the Highwood City Hall parking lot.

“The Great Highwood Pumpkin Fest has become such a special part of what makes Highwood, Highwood, and it’s the perfect way to welcome fall after a very busy summer of events,” said Jessica Ortega, President of Celebrate Highwood and owner of Giggles Play. “At the heart of it, this festival has always been about bringing people together, celebrating our community and doing some good along the way. None of it happens without the people and organizations who show up for Highwood, and we’re incredibly grateful to our sponsors, including American Place Casino and Culver’s, our donors and everyone who helps us bring it all to life.”

Celebrate Highwood also announced that SaLT, Service and Learning Together, will again be the event beneficiary. The organization is a volunteer-nonprofit led by students and veteran educators that supports food-insecure families, provides academic tutoring, aids communities in crisis and partners with local groups.

The festivities begin Thursday, Oct. 1, with community pumpkin carving from 4 to 9 p.m. and unlimited carnival ride specials from 5 to 9 p.m. On Friday, Oct. 2, the festival opens at 4 p.m. with trick-or-treating from 4 to 6 p.m., live music from 4 to 10 p.m. and carnival rides and games from 5 to 10 p.m.

Saturday’s schedule includes a noon opening, live music from noon to 10 p.m., carnival rides and games from 1 to 10 p.m. and the Great Pumpkin Wall Lighting at 7 p.m. On Sunday, the festival opens at noon, followed by a pet costume contest at noon, a kids costume contest at 1 p.m. and a pumpkin pie eating contest at 2 p.m. Full schedules and music lineup updates are available at the Celebrate Highwood and Highwood Pumpkin Fest websites.