The Festival is held at French Memorial Park in Seymour, Connecticut.  The park is located at the junction of Route 8 and Route 67.  Parking is available at Chatfield School (off Route 67). Shuttle bus service is available at this site, free of charge.

French Memorial Park is a seven-acre park that lends itself to this festival because of its terrain.  On Pumpkin Festival day, each section of the park is given a special name such as Pumpkin Patch, Goblins Gulch, Cinderella Lane, etc.

No vehicle traffic, pets, or bikes are allowed into the park on this day, in order to help insure the safety of families attending the festival.

 

The Pumpkin Festival will be held on Sunday, September 21, 2008 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.  The rain date is scheduled for Sunday, September 28th.    Admission is Free.

 

Members of the booth selection committee are always seeking new and unusual HANDMADE products to be displayed and sold at the Festival each year.  More than 120 artists and craftspeople were chosen to show their wares at the 2007 Festival.

Products that have been popular in the past include:  handmade jewelry, silk and dried flower arrangements, soft sculpture, leather products, paintings, blown glass, wooden furniture, Christmas ornaments, stained glass, bird houses, hand painted slate, ceramic items, and miniature doll houses.

 

The products displayed at this festival are judged based on the uniqueness and quality of their product.  Each product is entered into one of eight (8) categories - woodcrafts, jewelry, soft sculpture, dolls, folk art, needlecraft, and visual.  

 

Each booth is given a specific theme name and the craft person who owns that booth is encouraged to decorate the booth using the name as the booths theme.  Some of the names include Scarecrow Workshop, Bright Pumpkin, Goblin’s Treats, and Gleeful Ghost.  The booths with the best decorations are awarded cash prizes.

 

The food booths offer a variety of tasty, tempting items for festival goers to enjoy.  Some of the items available this year include fried dough, French fries, hamburgers, hotdogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, baked potatoes with toppings, apple and pumpkin pies, strawberry shortcake, New England Clam Chowder, ice cream, fresh fruit salad, and more.  There will be two breakfast booths serving items such as egg sandwiches and coffee in the morning.

 

There are several contests for the children attending the festival to participate in.  These include Pumpkin Decorating, Scarecrow and Costume Contests.  The Pumpkin Festival also holds a coloring contest at the three elementary schools in town during the weeks prior to festival day.  The children’s artwork is hung in the park during the festival.  Prizes are awarded to all contest winners.

 

Each year, several second and third grade students are selected to make up the Pumpkin Festival’s Royal Court.  The Royal Court Committee alternates annually between each of the three Seymour elementary schools to select the students that will be honored at the Pumpkin Festival’s Royal Court.  In addition to being royally honored at the festival, The Royal court provides an opportunity to proudly represent their school.

 

The pumpkin Patrol is a group of young volunteers that help to keep the festival running smoothly by assisting committee members on the day of the festival.  Many serve as runners, help to stake the booth dimensions, and offer valuable assistance to members of the Festival Committee during the day.  The Festival Committee is extremely grateful for the assistance these volunteers provide.      

 

Rides and amusements are present at the festival for the enjoyment of the children and adults.  Hand on spin art, games, and photos are also available.

 

The Seymour Pumpkin Festival awards scholarships annually to Seymour students who are involved in helping those in the community.  The scholarships are given in memory of Adeline Tripp.

 

 

All of the money raised at the Festival is be donated back to the betterment of the community.  Several local organizations and groups benefit from the hard work of our volunteers.  A partial list of those receiving donations from proceeds of the 2006 festival include:

Birmingham Group Umbrella Fund, Citizens Engine Company, Connecticut Hospice, Great Hill Hose Company, RR Pearson Memorial Fund, Seymour Ambulance Association, Seymour Christmas Parade, Seymour Fire Marshall, Seymour High School After Prom Party, Seymour Historical Society, Seymour Land Trust, Seymour Middle School, Seymour Pop Warner, Seymour / Oxford Food Bank, Spooner House, and Valley Women’s Health.