PUMPKINTOWN — The 34th annual Pumpkin Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 13.

This is the time of the year to enjoy a wonderful fall day in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains while taking advantage of some outstanding shopping, music and food. The festival will kick off at 9 a.m. with a parade from the Pumpkintown Fire Department to the Oolenoy Community House and continues until 5 p.m.

The theme for this year’s festival is “Pumpkins by Design.” It is expected that there will be thousands of attendees for this year’s festival, so come early and bring your lawn chairs or blankets to set up in front of the music stage and then begin to wander through the more than 165 arts and crafts booths, which will have a variety of handmade/homemade products (no commercial products are allowed at this festival). There will also be a number of food booths, which have funnel cakes, barbecue chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, fried fish, chili, sausage dogs, fried pies, and this year will also have brick oven/wood fired pizzas. To satisfy the sweet tooth, cake and cookie booths will be set up around the perimeter of the Oolenoy Building. There will also be homemade ice cream on site. Drink stands are also available throughout the festival grounds. Breakfast items will be offered inside the Community Building starting at 6 a.m. that morning.

There will be bluegrass and gospel music, plus cloggers, appearing on the music stage throughout the day. Most festival-goers look forward to the greased pole climb around 3 p.m. in the afternoon. It isn’t an easily won competition, but the climbers persevere until someone captures the flag on the top of the pole to claim the coveted prize.

Amusement rides for children will be available on the back side of the festival grounds. Cotton candy and kettle corn booths will also be set up in the children’s area.

Festival souvenirs will be available outside and inside the Community Building, which will include T-shirts, sweat shirts, totes, car tags, and books written by local authors. A large display depicting the early days in the Oolenoy Valley will be on exhibit inside the Community Building.

Also inside the Community Building, a table will be set up for the sale of raffle tickets for the festival quilt which is given away each year. The quilt was designed and quilted by Peggy Thomas Crum. Tickets for the quilt are $1 each and may be purchased the day of the festival or at various locations in the Pumpkintown community prior to the festival.

The quilt drawing will be held at 4 p.m. inside the Community Building, and you do not have to be present to win.

As usual, there will be a wide variety of pumpkins available to select from to get that special one you want to take home. Of course, as with every year, the pumpkin pile is a big attraction for taking that special picture of the baby or small child.

The festival is free and open to the public. There will be handicapped parking available at the Oolenoy Baptist Church parking lot and golf carts will be available to shuttle folks to and from the festival grounds throughout the day.

No pets will be allowed on the festival grounds unless it is a service animal.

This annual event is sponsored and organized by the Pumpkintown Community Club and raises money for community projects that benefit many area organizations.

Anyone interested in helping with this event or would like more information on becoming a member of the club please contact the club President Bob Flowers at 864-898-0261 or 864-884-2671.

For additional information on the festival or rental or the Oolenoy Community Building contact Susie Flowers at 864-898-0261.