Fall is chili time, and that means it’s time to taste the best chili area chefs can concoct. Homewood 16th annual Homewood Fall Fest will take place on Martin Avenue in downtown Homewood from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16.
Fall is chili time, and that means it’s time to taste the best chili area chefs can concoct.
Homewood 16th annual Homewood Fall Fest will take place on Martin Avenue in downtown Homewood from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16.
The event, as always, will feature the annual Chili Cook-Off to crown the village’s Top Chef, and after the 2 p.m. contest, festival goers will have a chance at 3 p.m. to sample the entries in exchange for a donation.
Proceeds from the Chili Cook-Off tasting will benefit South Suburban Family Shelter. Chili Cook-Off entrees require advanced registration.
Art
New to the event this year will be a public art auction to benefit the South Suburban Humane Society. More than 30 dog and cat statues were purchased this spring by local businesses and organizations. The statues were hand decorated by the owners and were unveiled at the Art & Garden Street Fair in April. Many of them have been on display in downtown Homewood streets and shop windows all summer.
Those not in attendance at the Homewood Fall Fest can also bid on pets online before Homewood Fall Fest as well as during the silent auction times. For information and instructions visit the SSHS website.
Before and after the auction, festival traditions will rule, with music, art, food and science activities for the whole family.
Music
Homewood Fall Fest kicks off with live music from noon to 1 p.m. with the world’s most dangerous kid’s band, The Boogers, described by village officials as “punk rock meets parenting.” The Boogers will perform songs from the band’s award-winning albums “Road to Rock,” “Let’s Go” and “Extractum Victoris.”
Next up will be Chicago-based Blue Mud performing its take on classic rock-n-roll, featuring twangy and guitar-driven songs from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
The dancing will really get going at 4:30 p.m., when Workout Music, a band with local roots, takes the stage. The band won the title of Breakthrough Band in 2010 from WGN-TV and has released three albums, including “Dance.Sweat.Rock.” volumes 1 and 2.
The nine-piece band The Hemispheres will close out the night with an eclectic and danceable mix of soul, Motown and R&B standards from 7 to 9 p.m.
Science
The Homewood Science Center (HSC) presents the Pop-Up Science event “Ready, Set, Experiment!” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 18022 Dixie Highway. Everyone in the family can get hands-on experience working with chemists from Dober, a chemical and technology company.
Activities will include making silly putty out of household ingredients, creating dramatic elephant toothpaste, piloting remote control airplanes and more.
“Ready, Set, Experiment!” is free and open to the public. Registration is not required. Participants can drop in for a few minutes or a few hours, and activities are appropriate for all ages.
For the kids
Homewood’s creativity will be on display in the annual scarecrow decorating contest. Scarecrows will be on display from 11 a.m. on, and winners will be announced at noon. There will be cash prizes for first, second and third place.
After Fall Fest, the scarecrows are placed in a special “scarecrow village” in the downtown area. The contest is hosted by the village, along with the Homewood Beautification Committee.
Kids activities will also include a pumpkin patch for pumpkin decorating, face painting and more.
Mr. D’s Magic Show will return for the third year to amaze the crowd from 2 to 4 p.m.
A petting zoo and pony rides are available from noon to 4 p.m.
This year the outdoor movie “Sing” begins at dusk, expected to be about 7:30 p.m.
Attendees can also experience a charming tour of downtown Homewood on horse-drawn wagon rides from 6 to 9 p.m.
Food, collectibles, more art
Homewood Fall Fest 2017 also boasts a wide variety of unique artisan vendors presenting home goods, vintage finds, and more. In addition, local caricaturist artist Ernest Posey will be set up ready to sketch family and friends.
Fest participants will also experience a “taste of Homewood” with local food vendors such as 5th Quarter and Press Room Eatery, Aurelio’s Pizza, The Cottage on Dixie, Empanadus, Fratello’s Cafe and Deli, Grady’s Grill, La Voute Bistro & Bar, Redbird Cafe, Ridgewood Tap, TJ’s Kettle Korn and Wiley’s Grill, among others.
“Homewood’s Fall Fest is perfect for the entire community to come out and have a great time. It’s my favorite event,” said Mayor Rich Hofeld. “Every year I’m amazed at our creative chefs that enter the Chili Cook-Off contest and the talented artists that decorate the scarecrows. This year’s music line-up has something for all ages and music tastes. And Homewood enjoyed having the Pets on Parade decorate the downtown area and is happy to help place these public art sculptures in their forever homes.”