By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Pumpkinfest is back.
The annual fall festival is back in downtown St. Joseph October 7th through the 9th at the Pony Express Museum and Patee Park.
Museum Executive Director Cindy Daffron says the festival is back for its 26th year.
"It's been a tradition, not just a fundraiser for the museum, but a tradition to kind of bring the community together and families, a time when the fall is kind of a fun time to get out," Daffron tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. "We try to make sure that the events there are family related from the petting zoo to the children's tent, but one of the most important things to get all that ready we've got to have some community support."
Daffron is currently asking for volunteers to help with several projects for the festival including carving pumpkins and working at the festival.
Daffron says the pumpkin mountain will be back this year with around 850 to 1,000 pumpkins on display. She says already 850 pumpkins have been distributed to schools.
"Riverside. Bode, Spring Garden, Carden Park for the first time is going to get some this year, so we're kind of excited because most of them are junior high, some of them are the FFA kids and some of them are the art classes," Daffron says. "But you know I think it's something they look forward to because I have many people tell me oh yes my children are all excited because they know what's going to happen at school."
Carved pumpkins from schools will be on display among several pumpkins from area businesses and ones carved by Pumpkinfest volunteers.
People that would like to volunteer to carve pumpkins can do so through Thursday, as well as on Friday from 9am to 2pm, by calling the museum.
Daffron says while there are plenty of events for adults, there is also the children's tents where kids will be able to make buttons and decorate pumpkins
"We'll have it where they make a design and the kids color it, then you go over and then we actually press it and make you your fun little button for the year," Daffron explains. "We also bring in the mini pumpkins, well the mini pumpkins mean you can put a feather on them, you can put glitter on them, you can put jewels on them, you know just make your pumpkin whatever you'd like it to be."
Daffron says there will also be crafts that can be made. Volunteers are still needed for the tent, as well as the Pumpkin Shoppe and to help around the festival.
If you are interested in volunteering, you can contact Daffron at the Pony Express Museum.
