FARMINGTON – There will be no shortage of fun from one end of Front Street to the other at Saturday’s 3rd annual Pumpkin Festival.
The festival, which has been known to attract the big crowds, is sponsored and 100 percent supported by local downtown merchants Events begin at 10 a.m. until about 6 p.m.
The family-friendly, fun-packed day will feature live entertainment that includes a Dana Perkins ventriloquist show, street performers: Cate the Great hand balancing and juggling, The Red Trousers Show, Frogtown Mountain Puppet Show, and a highlight will be a Rick Charette concert on stage at 2:30 p.m.
A Pumpkin Festival Pass for $5 allows access to all of the events that includes the Charette concert, a movie at the Narrow Gauge Cinemas, a s’mores packet, a scavenger hunt with prizes, face painting, caramel apple decorating. Raffle ticket prizes will be available at various Front Street businesses, which are also offering store-wide discounts.
There will be plenty of activities that won’t cost anything. The street performers, sheepdog demonstrations, horse pulled wagon rides, scarecrow decorating, pie eating contest, giant hay maze and the Franklin County Fiddlers concert are among the no-cost activities.
Organizer John Moore said the daylong event will take place rain or shine. With possible rain in the forecast for Saturday, Moore said they’ll just put up more tents.
Particularly exciting will be the professional street performers from Boston who will be easy to spot in the Depot parking lot beginning at 11 a.m. Bar Harbor’s Frogtown Mountain Puppet Show “Everybody Loves Pirates” will be located at Divine Inspirations, beginning at 12:30 p.m.
“The street performers will be really fun,” Moore said.
Organizers planned the Pumpkin Festival, which began three falls ago, to be centered on entertainment and activities for the whole family. Also important had been providing it at no or low cost so everyone can attend.
Moore said a concert ticket for a Charette concert alone would be $8, but festival-goers get to see Charette and do everything else for $5. He expects around 1,000 of the $5 coupon books to be sold, if last year’s festival and the popular Fire and Ice Festival in March are an indication.
He also noted that more parking will be available at the Notify MD parking lot, which has offered to open it for the festival. Attendees can park in the lot and take a free horse pulled wagon ride up Front Street from there.
Moore said hopes that no matter what the weather, families will turn out for a fun day on Front Street. Below is the festival’s schedule of events and locations:
(10:00-4:00) – Information Booth, located at Western Mountain Financial Services parking lot
(10:00-2:00) – Farmington Farmer’s Market moves to Front Street for the day! Try your hand at an apple cider press and enjoy a free apple cider sample, located at the Franklin Savings Bank/Western Mountain Financial Services lawn
(10:00-3:00) – Scavenger Hunt, pick up worksheet at Information Booth (available for Festival Pass holders only)
(10:00-4:00) – Photo Opportunity at the Franklin Savings Bank/Western Mountain Financial Services lawn
(10:00-3:00) – Scarecrow Decorating*, Games, and Face Painting (available for Festival Pass holders only) at Divine Inspirations
(10:00-1:30) – Caramel Apple Decorating*(available for Festival Pass holders only), brought to you by Front Street Mercantile & Norton Optometry, located in the tent adjacent to Norton Optometry
(10:00-1:30) – Kid’s Crafts* located in the tent adjacent to Norton Optometry
(10:00-11:30) – Kid’s Coloring Contest, brought to you by Western Mountain Play Museum, located in the tent adjacent to Norton Optometry. Stop by 11:30-1:30 to place your vote, top 3 winners will receive prizes!
(10:00-3:30) – Giant Hay Maze at Union Rental
(10:00-4:00) – Conjuring Carroll along Front Street
Free Movie Showing at Narrow Gauge Cinemas, (available for Festival Pass holders only, valid 10/4 or 10/5, includes one movie from the following selections)
(10:30, 1:00, 3:30) – Guardians of the Galaxy
(10:45, 1:15, 3:45) – Dolphin Tale 2
(11:00, 1:30, 4:00) – The Boxtrolls
(11:00-3:00) – Horse & Wagon Rides along Front Street – pick-up and drop-off at Divine Inspirations and Union Rental
(11:00, 12:30, 3:15) – Cate the Great hand balancing and juggling act located in the Depot parking lot
(11:30, 1:00, 4:00) – The Red Trousers Show, located in the Depot parking lot
(12:00) – Pie Eating Contest at Depot Laundry
(12:30) – Frogtown Mountain Puppet Show “Everybody Loves Pirates” located at Divine Inspirations
(12:30, 2:00, 3:30) – Sheepdog Demonstrations located on Prescott Field
(1:00-4:00) – Caricature portraits on the Stone Hearth Café patio ($5 with festival pass/$10 without, sign up recommended at the Stone Hearth Cafe)
(2:00) – Dana Perkins Ventriloquist show located in the tent adjacent to Norton Optometry
(2:30) – Rick Charette concert (available for Festival Pass holders only), brought to you by Kyes Insurance, located in the tent adjacent to Norton Optometry
(3:30-5:00) – Campfires and S’mores* (free S’mores available for Festival Pass holders only) at The Prescott Grille
(3:45-4:15) – Franklin Country Fiddlers Concert located in the tent adjacent to Norton Optometry
(4:30-6:00) – Fiddle Jam on the Stone Hearth Café patio
* While Supplies Last ** Schedule subject to change
For more information visit the website www.farmingtonpumpkinfestival.net.
Good luck with such a great family event. Growing every year. The banners are very nice.
Will there be pumpkin chuckin’ also? my kids always love that one!
The Franklin County Fiddlers concert has turned into a community fiddle jam. Please bring your instruments – the jam will be held under the tent at near Troy Norton’s office @ 3:45 to around 5:00. (Changed due to weather). Enjoy the festival!