Celebrate a Fall Tradition as the Blackwood Pumpkin Festival Marks its 25th Anniversary

Blackwood New Jersey comes alive on the first Sunday of October with entertainers, vendors, shoppers and families who converge on the area for the Blackwood Pumpkin Festival. This tradition began in 1992; and this year marks its 25th year. Over the years, hundreds of thousands of visitors have attended. The festival, presented by Mainstage Center for the Arts (MCA), takes place Sunday, October 2nd, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., in and around the area of MCA’s Performing Arts Academy, 27 S. Black Horse Pike. The rain date is Sunday, October 9th.

The festival features the Circus Time Amusement Park, food, music, shopping, live entertainment, and MCA sponsored activities including pumpkin painting, hayrides, moon bounces, a petting zoo, face painting, pumpkin painting, costume contests, and more. More 101 FM personalities will also be there throughout the day providing fun give-aways. New additions to this year’s event include a haybale maze for kids and a Farmer’s Market offering fresh produce. The primary sponsors for the event are: Today’s Shopper, Horizon Foundation, Econsult Solutions, Ryan Bansky Expert Tree Service, and Elauwit Media.

“We're thrilled that the South Jersey community has been able to enjoy the Blackwood Pumpkin Festival for 25 years now. It's such a fun way for friends and families to spend a day celebrating the joys of the fall season,” said Anne Marie Weaver, Director of Special Projects, MCA. “We appreciate all those who visit the event, which raises funds for Mainstage’s year-round performing arts programs for kids and their families.”

Those programs include Harmony, high school show choir; Encore, middle school show choir, and the Mainstage School of Dance and Performing Arts Academy; who are all performing at the festival, along with other local entertainers. others who like to get in on the act, there’s a talent contest, costume parade/contest, and pumpkin carving contest. Here are details for entering the contests.

· Costume Parade/Contest – sponsored by Bounce U Blackwood, for those up to age 12, 11:30 am and 1:15 p.m., in the park at the corner of Railroad and West Lake Ave. Register 15 minutes before the contest of your choice at the Mainstage Information Booth

· Talent Contest– sponsored by McDonalds will have performances assigned between 11:00 – 3:00 pm. Participants must pre-register by September 28. For details about registration, please visit http://mainstage.org/about/pumpkin-festival/

· Pumpkin Carving Contest, sponsored by Castors Auto Body, 1521 Blackwood Clementon Rd, Gloucester Township – please bring already carved or decorated field-grown pumpkins to Harwin Park, which is next to Rite Aid on the Black Horse Pike between noon and 2 p.m.

Blackwood Pumpkin Festival 25th Anniversary Display at Blackwood Rotary Library

In honor of the festival’s anniversary, the Blackwood Rotary Library will display Pumpkin Festival photos from throughout the years including the inaugural year. The display will run from September 26th through October 2nd.

In addition to the primary sponsors listed above, the Pumpkin Festival is sponsored by: Bowman and Company, LLP; Joseph W. Bowley; CPA; Beneficial Bank; Castor Auto & Truck Repair; Comegno Law Group, PC; Meadows Diner; Royal Bank America; PostNet; Preferred Party Rentals; McDonald’s (Gloucester Township); Bounce U of Blackwood; Valleybrook Country Club; Rahn AllGreen Turf Management; SERVPRO Blackwood/Gloucester Township; Mayor David Mayer and Gloucester Township Town Council; Senator Madden, Assemblyman Moriarty, Assemblywoman Mosquera; DPI of Cherry Hill; Sign & Design; Space Mart; Chews Florist; Rite Aid; Sports Specialties; Blackwood West Development; Blackwood Lake Development, Township of Gloucester; Gloucester Township Chamber of Commerce; Camden County Regional Chamber of Commerce; Camden County College; Gloucester Township Rotary Public Library; Gloucester Township Public Schools, Black Horse Pike Regional School District: New Jersey State Council on the Arts; and the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information about the event, or to rent a booth, visit www.mainstage.org or call (856) 302-6485.

Since parking in downtown Blackwood fills up quickly, free parking with a free shuttle bus service to the festival is available at Highland Regional High School, 450 Erial Road, Blackwood, NJ 08012.

Photo captions

Choosing a Pumpkin: Selecting the best pumpkin is always a serious task at the Blackwood Pumpkin Festival.

Pumpkin Painting: Pumpkin painting is one of the most popular activities at the Blackwood Pumpkin Festival. The festival celebrates its 25th year on October 2nd.

Mainstage Center for the Arts, the parent program for Summer Stage, is a 501 © (3) non-profit organization committed to providing a creative, vibrant, and nurturing environment for youth and adults.

This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.