Big turnout for first annual pumpkin festival

Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

Lori Hovington shows a pumpkin to her 19-month-old nephew Josh Overby with her granddaughter Violet Cornelson (right) standing by at Yara Community Gardens' first annual Pumpkin Harvest Festival on Saturday.

Published on September 29, 2012

Lisa Goudy

The warm sun just added to the atmosphere at Yara Community Gardens’ first annual Pumpkin Harvest Festival at 1000 Grey Ave. on Saturday.

“We saw an ad and decided we would try it and I’m very, very pleased with what it is,” said attendee Lori Hovington. “I think we’ll keep coming back. It’s just a lot of fun and they couldn’t have asked for a better day.”

She added that it was an exciting idea for the community and it gives children something to do.

“We’ve lived in Ontario and used to go out to the big pumpkin patch,” said Hovington. “So this is a really cool idea.”

The festival had a free homemade chili lunch made by volunteers, buns, drinks, live music, kids’ activities and pumpkins for sale. Community gardens co-ordinator Sarah Varey said the main focus of the event was to welcome people. She said that on Saturday morning, they had 350 pumpkins to sell.

“We had a big piece of land that we didn’t quite know what to do with and we thought pumpkins keep down weeds. They’re not as much work as some other crops,” said Varey. “They were all watered by hand with five-gallon pails all summer long so these are loved pumpkins that’s for sure.”

She added she was really pleased with the turnout and there were a lot of children in attendance. All funds raised from pumpkin and preserve sales will support the community gardens.

For more information, see an upcoming edition of the Times-Herald.

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