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It’s the GREAT Pumpkin Show! Circleville is at the heart of pumpkinland

Thursday, 17 September 2009

By VALERIE MARTIN
Food vendors, demonstrations, rides, games, music, displays - sounds like every festival you have ever been to, right? But add two parades every day, contests galore and more pumpkins than you will ever see in one place, and you get “The Greatest Free Show on Earth” - the Circleville Pumpkin show.

The Circleville Pumpkin Show is Ohio’s oldest and largest festival, holding its first show in 1903. Then mayor, George R. Haswell, had the idea of holding a small exhibit in front of his place on W. Main Street. He wanted to unite the county of Pickaway by bringing together country and city folk. People gathered, fun was had, and the festival was born. The name sort of just happened because pumpkins dominated the showcase.
Today, starting the third Wednesday every October, the town of Circleville is transformed for four days it becomes a sea of people mixed into a sea of orange! About 100,000 visitors a day travel to take part in the festivities.
Eight city blocks are filled with 25-30 amusement rides and over 300 food booths, games & craft vendors.
Besides these attractions, people come to see the giant pumpkins, the world’s largest pumpkin pie, and try various pumpkin-flavored delicacies. Oh, and don’t worry about the restroom facilities — some 70 port-o-lets are scattered throughout the festival!
According to the Pumpkin Show website, www.pumpkinshow.com, the best place to watch the Seven Pumpkin Show Parades — each with a different theme — is on East and West Franklin Street. If you go, you can see the more than 40 floats and 50 bands marching the streets. Afternoon parades start at 3:30 p.m. (no afternoon parade on Saturday) and the evening parades start at 8 p.m.
Another big feature of the show is the contests. These include Little Miss Pumpkin Show, Pumpkin Pie Eating, Pumpkin Toss, Pets, Big Wheel Race, Egg Toss, and Hog Calling. And of course, there is the contest for the largest pumpkin. The record, by the way is 1,524.5 pounds!
So, if you go, remember to wear a good pair of shoes — you may have to park a ways out. Bring your love of people — they will be everywhere. And wear your largest pair of pants — you will need all the room you can find for your pumpkin feast.

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