Speaking of pumpkins ....
there is a small town nearby
that started
hosting a four day
Pumpkin Festival last year.
This small town of under 5,000 people
had plans to try to beat
the Guinness Worlds Record
for displaying the most jack-o-lanterns
lit in one town.
If you can even imagine ...
they had hoped to have
32,000
pumpkins
lit in an attempt to break
Boston's 2006 record of 30,128!
Well. though they did not make it
on their first try....
they did successfully light
26,287
on their first try....
they did successfully light
26,287
pumpkins last year!
How were they able to do this?
The event brought neighboring communities,
organizations, military, and businesses together
to carve pumpkins and celebrate
with their families and friends for four days.
They line the streets of this small town
with these walls of shelves
and the higher pumpkins are lit
by people in cherry-pickers on hydraulic lifts.
It's really amazing.
They will try again this year
and I will be there with my family and friends
to carve some pumpkins for this fun event
and to hear the final tally announced
and to hear the final tally announced
on October 22nd!
So in case you are in Illinois,
and would care to visit Highwood,
to take part in this four day event,
it runs from October 19-22nd, 2011.
and would care to visit Highwood,
to take part in this four day event,
it runs from October 19-22nd, 2011.
For more information you can visit their website at:
I didn't know about it
until I drove through this town
the day after the event last year
so I missed it, but won't this year!
Looks like fun, doesn't it?
25 comments:
Hi Alison, Looks like a lot of fun! We have something in NY called the Blaze. You walk through something like a maze and there's thousands of carved lit pumpkins all over. They even have themed sections. Like fish, pirates, dinosaurs, skeletons, ect... it really is amazing the things they carve these pumpkins into. We take the kids every year they love it. Martina
SERIOUSLY ALLISON, WOW! WISH I COULD BE THERE WITH YOU TO CARVE, LITE AND LOOK AT WHAT SHOULD BE AN INCREDIBLE ATTEMPT AT A RECORD THAT WHEN COMPLETED HAS TO LOOK MORE THAN AMAZING! JUST LOVE YOUR BLOG. I AM NOW ONE OF YOUR FOLLOWERS.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. . . .LOVE ANYTHING "POLO"!
I hope in all that, that some pumpkin pies were made too!!! Looks like tons of fun! xoxo
How much fun!! A little town near us did a scarecrow entry for the Guinness World Record. Have fun and Happy Fall. Wish I could be there for the pumpkin fest.
Alison! Thanks for the blog on Pumpkin Fest! :) I'm going to post this link to Highwood's Facebook Page asap!
Have fun at Randolph Street Market this weekend. Take pix of your Editor's Choice items and post them. I'd love to see them!!!
Looks like so much fun! Take LOTS of pictures for us. (Are those "the morning after" 2010 photos in this post?)
It does look like a lot of fun, for adults, and kids alike! =)
Happy Friday! XO ~Liz
Wow, this looks like fun! I love pumpkins, loved your post prior to this and I could not believe the junk market! The dresser is so beautiful. I cannot wait to see where you put it.
Have a great weekend.
Hmmm.....Have
a sudden craving
to buy pumpkins
after reading your
last two posts!
This is super cool.
And I love the pic
with the turquoise
pick-up loaded with
pumpkins, too!
Happy Friday!
xx Suzanne
Hi Alison,
Wow! That's a lot of pumpkins! Sounds like of fun and I am sure my kids would love something like that. They want to start buying and carving pumpkins already and I keep telling them that the pumpkins will be rotten by Halloween if we start now! Have a great weekend!
-Shelley
That is awesome! I live in a small town too with under 5,000 people, but we certainly do not do anything like this. I would have loved to see it in person.
Wow...comparatively, our festival ain't got jack. (Yes. I said it).
That's incredible!! It's so fun to carve pumpkins. Those little towns have such wonderful events. I just did a Fall post today too. Your pictures were so fun to look at!! A lovely weekend to you,
~Sheri at Red Rose Alley
OMG, this is over the top. Amazing, some would say shameful and wasteful. I say you all go now!!! Richard from My Old Historic House.
That would be really fun to visit and it would be an amazing place for pictures. It's neat how it brings the whole community together. Illinois can beat Massachusetts! Show them what we Midwestern folk are made of!
That is an awesome event to see. I think I saw that first photo in a magazine once. I hope you get to take part and also take some pictures! Especially when they are lit up. In Nova Scotia there is a town that makes pumpkin people and they are displayed all over the town. I'd love to see that sometime too.
Hey are you going to the randolph st market tomorrow?
Wow! I don't think I've ever seen that many pumpkins in one place before. Especially all carved and lit up! That looks like a fun event to participate in......a real family affair. Pumpkin carving has gotten so elaborate these days. I love seeing what my neighbors have carved on Halloween night when I take my son trick or treating. I get a chance to see everyone's decorations up close!
Good grief! All those poor pumpkins, with their lives cut short! Seriously, it looks like a real kick! Talk about getting into the spirit of the season!
It does look like fun. I want you to take lots of pictures and post them ;P
How fun to have that near you...good luck, I just can't believe how much fun something like this can be for a town...wish more little towns got together to create a sense of family within it's town..very cool post Alison
OMGoodness, I have never seen anything like this EVER! It is incredible and wish I could go with you!!!!!!!! What fun that would be!!! Hoping you will post yopur pumpkins after the event! XO, Pinky
How fun...and amazing! I'd love to see it all lit up.
Pat
What a really cool idea!
What fun! I'm sure the local kids love being part of a Guinness World Record try. Thanks for sharing.
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