By Amy Woolvett
THE COAST GUARD
Summer is officially over but with the autumn comes an array of beautiful colours, crisp evenings and the crunch of leaves underfoot.
Everyone is invited to celebrate all things fall with the 4th annual harvest fair and the 26th annual giant pumpkin festival all to be held at Islands Park beginning this Saturday at 10:00 a.m.
The SRHS boy’s basketball team will be there to carry to the scales the hundreds of pounds of pumpkins in a contest to see who could grow the heaviest.
The weigh-off will begin at 11:30 a.m. with prizes for first second and third place giant pumpkin, first place for giant squash and prizes for biggest zucchini and tallest sunflower.
The fun continues after the weigh in with face painting, pumpkin carving and a scavenger hunt.
The harvest festival organizers are excited to bring this year’s festival to the community for what is sure to be a packed day of fall fun for the whole family.
Kids can get a chance to dress up their pumpkins, stuff their faces in donut and pie eating contests, race their homemade zucchini cars across the finish line and take a crack at the piñata.
Adults can have a chance to be competitive in the washers tournament that will begin at 2 p.m.
Organizers Tina McKay and Penny Smith say that the festival took off after four friends go together with the idea of creating the event.
Now grown to a dozen volunteers, the group would love for at least a dozen more volunteers to pitch in for the event.
“You have to have people to have a successful event,” said McKay.
Islands Park has partnered with the festival as this year marks the first where the festivities will spill into the night, encouraging campers to take advantage of the parks extended hours and last weekend for camping.
Bonfires, marsh mellows and stargazing are to highlight the night.
Smith encourages anyone to bring along a guitar for some fun around the fire entertainment.
“One of the best things is that all the days activities will be free,” said Smith. “It’s a great way to enjoy the facilities we have…it is such a stunning and wonderful place.”
26th Annual Giant Pumpkin Festival and 4th Annual Harvest Fair
October 6, 2012
Start time: 10 am
Location: Islands Park10:00 - 1:30 Guess the Weight of the Giant Pumpkin
Face Painting
10:00 - 12:00 Pumpkin Carving
10:00 - 1:00 Barbeque
11:30 - 1:30 Giant Giant Pumpkin Weigh In!!
1:00 - 1:30 Memory Challenge Scavenger Hunt
1:30 - 2:30 Dress Up or Paint your very own Pumpkin
1:30 - 3:00 Archery Turkey Shoot
2:00 - 3:00 Doughnut eating contest NO HANDS!!!
2:15 - 2:45 Harvest Fair Apple Pie Contest
2:30 - 3:00 Scarecrow Decoration Contest
3:00 - 4:00 Children's games - Pumpkin ring toss, Find your animal mate, Egg and Spoon race
3:00 - 3:30 Yummy cake walk
3:30 - 4:00 Chocolate Pie eating Contest
4:00 - 5:30 Roast your own Hot Dog over the open fire
4:15 - 5:00 Zucchini 500 Races
5:00 Candy filled Pinatas
Stay for the Island's Park bon Fire and Star Gazing at Dusk
Also Local demonstrators will also be at the park sharing ideas and food
