PumpkinFest, the pride of Franklin and one of Western North Carolina’s favorite fall festivals, rolls off on Saturday, Oct. 16.
This year’s festival is shaping to be the biggest and best one yet. In addition to the slew of nearly 90 arts, crafts, food and retail vendors who will populate the booths around Main Street, this year’s event will be set apart by some rather heroic guest appearances. Patrons will be able to get photos with a Star Wars landspeeder and the iconic Batmobile.
Town manager Summer Woodard said that this is another stride towards reaching all ages with fun activities at the festival.
“We have some really great attractions this year that will appeal to all ages,” Woodard said. “You can meet R2-D2, see a Star Wars Landspeeder replica along with characters and a 1966 Batmobile fan car, which is an exact replica from the classic TV series.”
All the other classic activities will be available as well, including free pony rides, costume contests, pie-eating contests and a smorgasbord of fall treats. In addition, free rides will be given on a miniature train that will accommodate both youngsters and adults.
There will also be two Kid’s Zones with free inflatable slides, bounce houses and more. These areas will be located at each end of Main Street.
The Pumpkin Roll will be open for rolling from 10:20 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and whoever rolls their pumpkin the farthest down town hill will win the grand prize of $100. Pumpkins are available for purchase at the festival, or participants can roll their own. Registration is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
As he is every year, mayor Bob Scott is enthusiastic about the festival, which he considers a great opportunity for the town to come together and celebrate the season. He also expressed his gratitude to the sponsors who make the festival possible.
“The town also greatly appreciates our local business community stepping forward to assist in cosponsoring PumpkinFest,” Scott said. “The Factory is a longtime sponsor, and this year we welcome two new cosponsors, Angel Medical Center and Beasley Flooring Products.”
PumpkinFest will be held rain or shine from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19. For more information, go to townoffranklinnc.com/pumpkin-fest.
Again this year, Main Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from the bottom of Town Hill. Signs will be posted and traffic will be routed behind Angel Medical Center back to Church Street.
To alleviate parking issues, the Town of Franklin is again working with Macon Transit and Franklin High School to provide free shuttle rides from the FHS campus. The shuttles will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will take visitors to and from the festival in 15-minute intervals.
According to Mayor Bob Scott, while PumpkinFest is held in downtown, its economic impact is felt far beyond.
“Restaurants, motels, and numerous other businesses all see increased sales because of this festival. The town staff also works hard to grow the festival each year bringing new people to discover our wonderful town,” Scott said.