The IHSA Destination DeKalb committee is preparing for another record breaking crowd of 30,000 plus visitors that had one ultimate goal this year…to make DeKalb their destination on Thanksgiving weekend. In 2013, we played host to this prestigious event for the first time. It is a tremendous honor to be selected to host one of the premiere sporting events in Illinois.
On November 27th and 28th, Huskie Stadium will host 16 elite high school teams in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state football championships. Thousands of high school footballs fans from across the state will travel to DeKalb for the eight games of the tournament.
Class 1A-4A teams play on Friday and 5A-8A play on Saturday. Game times are at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm.
In 2013, the weekend generated an estimated $800,000 in revenue for local businesses. An event of this magnitude has a direct effect on our economy and pays off in other ways for years to come. It helped Northern Illinois University with student recruitment and earned $200,000 in free media coverage for our area.
More than 200 community volunteers were recruited from our region to extend a warm welcome and provide a first-class experience for our guests. No event of this size is ever successful without the buy-in and support from local residents. Together, we made a difference and put DeKalb and our entire county in a great light.
We need your help again! Join in the fun, show your community pride and volunteer. For more information on volunteer opportunities visit ihsadestinationdekalb.com
