Pumpkin Festival Brings Family and Friends Together
Pumpkin Festival goers spent Wednesday night seeing friends, watching the weigh-off and eating food.
Emily Sprague was in town from Akron to watch the weigh-off and buy pottery. Her two young daughters enjoyed the night with her as they were excited for rides and food.
Sprague said her grandparents grew up in Barnesville, and she enjoys visiting her family during the week and the “small town charm” the festival brings.
Two friends, Jacey Stephen and Rebecca Kinder, were at the festival Wednesday evening to scout out the weigh-off and walk Kinder’s Labrador Retriever puppy around the festival.
Stephen said she enjoys seeing friends at the festival as it’s a time for everyone to come together. The pair enjoyed the festival food and scouted what they wanted for dinner the rest of the week.
Another pair at the festival, Noah and Mackenzie Flynn, visited the festival to enjoy the food and see friends they usually might not see. Mackenzie described the festival as a “town family reunion.”
“I don’t think anyone cooks dinner the week of the festival,” she said.
Festival goer Amanda Arigoni was visiting for another year like she does every year. She was there to watch the weigh-off and enjoy the bourbon chicken.
Not only were festival visitors attending Wednesday night, but business owners had their share of the first evening of the festival.
Luke and Susan Johnson, owners of Johnson Family Pottery, spent their day selling mugs, candles, crocks, bowls, lamps, ornaments and more. Susan said it was a successful day with customers lined up outside on the street waiting for hours until the business opened.
Aside from working a busy night at the shop, Luke said he enjoys seeing his former students from Barnesville High School at the festival.
Helping the pair Wednesday night was Barnesville Area Chamber of Commerce of Director Jill Hissom.
The chamber’s events during the week include selling pumpkin donuts and ice cream from the Pumpkin Wagon, having celebrity servers for the Pumpkin Wagon, where business representatives raise money for chamber operations, while another festival feature, the crafts market at the Bohandy Building, “Pumpkin in the Ville”, will raise money for the upcoming Christmas in the Ville Celebration downtown ice skating rink and the Christmas in the Park display in December.
Hissom enjoys seeing visitors come to the community to shop and enjoy the Pumpkin Festival. She added she believes the festival brings a lot of traffic into the village’s downtown area.
Hissom has never missed a Pumpkin Festival and describes it as a “giant homecoming.”
“It’s a chance to see people that you haven’t seen, sometimes for the whole year, sometimes for a few years,” she said. “The food is always delicious, of course, but I just love getting to see my friends and family.”
The 61st Barnesville Pumpkin Festival continues through Sunday with a variety of activities and attractions including the popular Antique and Classic Car Show at Barnesville High School. A free shuttle runs from the downtown festival area to the show throughout the day.
Friends and family gather at the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival to enjoy company, eat food and more.
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