Inferno Fest brings the heat from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. June 26 at Everts Park in downtown Highwood. The event takes place in conjunction with the weekly Highwood Evening Gourmet Market and features music and plenty of spicy foods and beverages.
“This is not the first time this (event) has come back after a hiatus,” said Eric Falberg, president of Celebrate Highwood and Highwood alderman. “We keep on saying we’re not going to do it again, but too many people want it.”
They did move the fest to June from its previous July date on the calendar because “July is way too hot to be eating spicy stuff,” he said.
Although, he said, spicy food never goes out of style and in fact only seems to increase in popularity with time.
“Spicy foods bring a lot of flavor and people need a little more flavor in life these days,” he said.
The highlight of the event is the wildly popular, adults-only, must-sign-a-waiver-to-compete Inferno Fest Eating Contest at 7:30 p.m. Highland Park restaurant Pixca will supply super-spicy chorizo and potato taquitos stuffed with locally-grown pequin peppers. Pequin peppers fall between jalapenos and habaneros on the Scoville heat-measuring scale.
The rules are simple: pay a $10 entry fee and eat as many hot taquitos as you can without calling for the relief of a glass of milk or having a reversal of fortune. The winner receives a $200 gift card and perhaps more importantly, bragging rights.
“You have to actually finish it,” Falberg said. “Some people don’t finish it … they bit off more than they can chew.
“We’re excited to bring back the milk angels — they’re little kids that walk around with angel wings and little cartons of milk to help people.”
The contest is capped at 20 contestants, he said. It’s usually a mix of all types of people, he said.
“I remember the first year we did it, we had a professional foodie come in and he just wiped everybody away. Took the check and went to the next contest,” he said
Falberg personally doesn’t try his luck in the contest; he values his tastebuds and digestive tract too much.
“I just enjoy watching,” he said.
People will be able to shop at the Highwood Evening Gourmet Market, where vendors and eateries have been instructed to ramp up the heat in their dishes in keeping with the theme, he said. People can try America, Italian and Mexican dishes as well as spicy sweets and cocktails.
“We ask everyone to do a specific spicy dish that day,” he said. “People can try different spicy foods throughout the market. There are some really amazing spicy cocktails out there.”
Live rock and pop music will be provided by the Bob and Shawn Duo of the iPop Band.
He thinks Inferno Fest is good for folks who want to challenge themselves and try new spicy foods, he said.
“There are shows that have been made about people trying the spiciest things all throughout the country,” he said. “It’s nice when you can come to a place and in one night see how many spicy foods you can try without killing yourself.”
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
Inferno Fest
When: 4:30-9:30 p.m. June 26
Where: Everts Park, 111 North Ave., Highwood
Tickets: Free; $10 to compete
Information: 847-668-1213; celebratehighwood.org/inferno-fest
