Chamber of Commerce members have been meeting over the past few weeks, working to reinvent the fall festival formerly known as Heritage Days.Starting this year, the two-day event that coincides with the U.S. 60 Yard Sale – and one time only with football homecoming and an airport open house – will be billed as the Pumpkin Festival.
The entire program will revolve around a fall theme and events will be geared toward those who like activity. There will be a pumpkin smashing event, 5K run, pet contest, petting zoo, car and antique tractor show, pumpkin pie contest, Little Mr. and Miss pageant, political speaking, FFA pedal tractor pull, cow chip throwing contest, corn hole tournament and a pumpkin relay to name a few of the events scheduled for Oct. 1-2.
“We want to focus on the events that have been hugely popular in the past,” said Chamber President Corey Payne.
The idea behind changing the name and retooling some of the events is to reinvigorate the annual festival, say chamber members who are serving on the planning committee.
“We have liked the Heritage Days theme, but we wanted something that might attract people from out of town,” Payne said.
Support for the fall Heritage Days had waned in recent years, even among Chamber members. The group had decided several months ago to no longer host a fall festival, partly because it’s so costly. Payne said that some members pushed for reviving it and focusing on popular events.
Coincidentally, this year’s Pumpkin Festival will fall on the same week as the high school’s homecoming, so there will be a parade on Thursday night.
Susan Alexander, executive director of the Chamber, said this isn’t the first Pumpkin Festival.
“4-H used to sponsor a Pumpkin Festival years ago,” she said.
With this being an election year, organizers are also hoping for a big turnout for the political speaking.
