The Great Highwood Pumpkin Fest

Downtown Highwood's annual four-day fall festival features all things pumpkin -- carved, baked, and catapulted -- as well as lots of family-friendly activities, including trick-or-treating, a parade,hayrides and live music. The first and last days draw the biggest crowds. One highlight is the free pumpkin carving. The town provides scooped-out shells and carving knives and invites visitors to come up with their best designs. At one recent festival, the village tried to set a new world record for number of jack-'o-lanterns lit up at one time, and while they didn't quite make it -- their 25,000 pumpkins fell 7,000 short -- the walls and walls of pumpkins provided an amazing spectacle. The festival's first day also marks the end of the season for the Evening Gourmet Farmers Market; it's the last night you can buy fresh-from-the-farm veggies and fruits as well as other food items.