Arts & Entertainment
Thousands of Redheads to Gather for National Ginger Gala
With its 50 Shades of Red theme, this weekend's 2nd annual Redhead Days in Highwood will try to set a world's record. Find out how.
HIGHWOOD, IL—Rusty auburn. Radiant ginger. Raging inferno red.
No two redheads are alike. And Highwood's Redhead Days plans to celebrate that diversity of follicle hues this weekend with its second annual festival.
The event—which runs Saturday, June 4, through Sunday, June 5, at City Hall Park and Everts Park in downtown Highwood—will try to build on the success of last year's inaugural festival with its theme of 50 Shades of Red.
More Patch Coverage
- How the 1st Redhead Festival Came to the United States
- Day 1 of Redhead Days a Success; Record-Breaking Ginger Photo Planned for Sunday (PHOTOS)
- Chicago's North Shore is Getting Another Redhead Festival
One of the highlights of the 2016 celebration will be an attempt at 2 p.m. Sunday to break the world's record for capturing the largest gathering of redheads in a photo. Last year's effort corralled more than 750 redheads for the picture, according to organizers, who hope to top the official world record of 1,672. That was set during 2013's Redhead Days in Breda, Netherlands, the festival that inspired the Highwood event, which attracted more than 2,500 people last year, about 1,100 of whom sported ginger locks.
Other activities scheduled for Highwood's second annual Redhead Days include:
- live music sponsored by The Redhead Piano Bar and School of Rock
- "red-centric" games, such as red butt-bouncer obstacle course races, inflatable plastic bubble soccer and other contests
- the return of the Carrot Cake Throwdown, which will pit bakers from A La Carte, Baker Boys, Bent Fork Bakery, Foodstuffs, Real Urban Barbeque, Sunset Foods, Taste on Chestnut and others trying to dethrone current champ Nothing Bundt Cakes for the title of best carrot cake. And one of the judges for the carrot cake contest, which will be at 2 p.m. Saturday? None other than new Highland Park Patch editor and lifelong natural redhead Joe Vince.
And brunettes, blondes and those sporting non-red 'dos, don't worry. You're more than welcome to enjoy the two-day festival, too.
- When: Saturday, June 4, and Sunday, June 5
- Where: City Hall Park and Everts Park, Highwood
- More Info: Check out the event's Facebook page, Twitter feed and Instagram account. Go to the festival's listing in the Highland Park Patch calendar for times and other details.
PHOTO: Highwood's Redhead Days from 2015. (Tim Moran | Patch.com)
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