By MATT PIKE
The 30th annual Pumpkinfest is this weekend on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in downtown St. Joseph at the Patee Park Square near the Pony Express Museum at 914 Penn Street.
Director and Coordinator Cindy Daffron says it's exciting to reach 30 years after the event started as a fundraiser for the museum to get through the winter months.
"It is one of the signature things we do," Daffron says on the KFEQmunnity show. "I think the other thing is they always wanted some live entertainment, we don't charge to come to the festival."
The festival will feature fun family entertainment, along with several other fun events running from 5 to 9pm on Friday October 2nd, noon to 9pm on October 3rd, and from noon to 4:30pm on October 4th. The Pumpkin Mountain will also make its return and will be lit on Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm.
Prior to the lighting of the mountain, there will be a flag raising ceremony and the national anthem will be played. The flag raising ceremonies will be at 7:45pm, on Friday, October 2nd, the flag will be raised by the St. Joseph Fire Department. The flag-raising ceremonies began at the festival around three years ago, Daffron says.
"The first time we ever did it and then Phil (Vandel) sang the National Anthem), people were crying because they said it was the first they said they really felt they were an American," Daffron explains. "They really felt the feel of the flag, the singing, all of it to go together, so it's kind of become a tradition."
Pumpkinfest will also feature several vendors and food trucks during the festival. On Saturday, starting in the Patee Hall parking lot, Patee Hall children can put on their Halloween costumes and participate in the costume contest and parade. Registration will be at 10am with the parade at 11am, ending typically around 11:45 at the Pumpkin Mountain, with winners of the costume contest following.
For more information on Pumpkinfest you can click HERE
Interview
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