Celebration begins at 9 a.m. with parade, food, entertainment

Staff Writer

gjohnson@theeasleyprogress.com

PUMPKINTOWN - Want to have an out-of-your-gourd good time without spending a lot on gas?

Then come to the 30th annual Pumpkin Festival on Saturday, Oct. 11, hosted by the Pumpkintown Community Club in the heart of the Oolenoy Valley .

Festivities kick off at 9 a.m. with the parade starting at the Pumpkintown Fire Department through town and will last most of the day.

Pumpkin Festival rules are simple: nothing mass produced can be sold in vendor booths and no political stumping is allowed.

"We've got 147 booths and everything has to be homemade, the crafts and all, must be homemade," said festival publicity Chairwoman Hazel Couch.

No political stumping allowed.

"They know they can put a sign up on their truck in the parade, but no literature or speeches, because this is a family day," said fellow festival organizer Susie Flowers.

The best part is the festival's accessibility in times of high gas prices, the women said.

"We're right here in the community," Couch said.

Located at the Oolenoy Community House at the northern end of S.C. 135 before it dead-ends at S.C. 8 in Pumpkintown, the festival's inaugural outing was in 1978 as a way to raise money to preserve the community building.

"And something that's been here for 30 years - it's got to be special," she said. "We've got some people here that's been working on this for all 30 years, and they're still working hard."

The festival is actually so popular that word has spread far and wide, attracting visitors from across the state to as far away as Florida, Virginia and even San Diego, Calif.

The reason for such interest is perfectly simple to Flowers.

"It is a wonderful community, close-knit, they're just a proud bunch of people up here," Flowers said.

Funds raised by the festival will go toward painting the community building inside and out.

"Last year we had the pillars replaced because they were disintegrated, the year before that the floors..." Flower said.

Part of raising funds comes from the raffle of a quilt, a festival tradition, this year made by Peggy Corn.

Tickets are $1 and will be sold during the festival. The raffle is slated for 5 p.m. and participants need not be present to win, Couch said.

To help get the word out about this gas-friendly, local festival tradition, Couch and quilt coordinator Bernice Fortner are taking the quilt and a variety of vendor items to show on Channel 7 on Oct. 7 around 10 a.m.

Couch and Flowers said the festival's big attraction is bluegrass and country music played from the main stage.

"People bring their own chairs or blankets to sit on, it's a really good time," Couch said.

A greased pole climb is sure to entertain children ages 8 and up.

Handicap parking is available at the Oolenoy Baptist Church with golf-cart shuttle service to and from the festival.

Visitors will not go hungry with all the food that will be available, including barbecued chicken, biscuits, hot dogs, hamburgers, fried fish with all the trimmings, kernel corn and soft drinks.

Breakfast begins at 6 a.m. and will be sold throughout the day inside the community building.

Homemade can goods will be for purchase as well as pumpkin pies and a number of regional favorites.

"Everyone is very excited about the 30th year," Couch said.

To learn about renting the community building for special occasions, call Hazel Couch at 878-2607.

To join the festival's free parade, call Pumpkintown Fire Chief David James at 878-3473.

For more information about the Pumpkin Festival, call Bob or Susie Flowers at 898-0261.