punkin' mania

Well, I couldn't let this week go by without mentioning the famous Annual Pumpkin Show in Circleville. It's funny how something so "trivial" can become such major part of your life. Last year I was in Colorado the entire month of October, and missed the Show completely. I remember very well being extremely disappointed, because I know it was the first year I had missed since I was in grade school. I had Autumn buy me a stromboli from the Church of God booth and some pumpkin fudge and freeze them for me. But let me rewind a bit.

The Pumpkin Show is the 6th largest festival in the US, and in it's 99th year. Every year it is held the third week of October, and I am telling you, the entire town shuts town. Five city blocks are blocked in the very center of town and filled with booths selling pumpkin food, pumpkin crafts, and actual pumpkins of all sizes. I think this year's winning pumpkin weighed in around 951 lbs. Pumpkin growing is an art form in Pickaway county. You can eat everything from pumpkin pie to pumpkin pizza, and Lindsey's Bakery window proudly displays the 5-6 foot pumpkin pie. Last year's pumpkin pie weighed over 350 pounds and stretched 5 feet in diameter and took more than 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 13 gallons of milk, 12 dozen eggs, three pounds of cornstarch, one pound pumpkin spice, 1 pound of salt and 30 pounds of pie dough. It's insane, but there's more.

Everyone is affected, and everyone reacts differently. Many people save vacation time, though for different reasons. Some people take vacation to get out of town, and some take vacation to be downtown every possible minute. Several women I work with took yesterday off so that they could enter their young daughters in the Little Miss Pumpkin Show contest. I have friends who spent the week in Myrtle Beach...

City kids are out of school Weds-Fri, and every local school takes a teacher in-service day on Friday, and even college Fall Breaks fall on the same weekend. The town swells to accommodate about 400,000 people before it's all said and done, which is quite a feat for a town of around 13,000 people.

So why all the hoopla about a street festival? Well, there are several reason why I love it so much. First of all, pumpkin is my favorite flavor, next to chocolate. Any festival that wants to sell me all kinds of pumpkin flavored foods is alright in my book. Second, it's about the time of year; Fall is my favorite season and October is the height of color and semi-cool weather. I say semi-cool because in Ohio, one day of the Show can be 80 degrees, and the next could be 40. You never know! I remember wearing shorts one year, and heavy coats and gloves the next.

But third, and most important, is the social aspect. Pumpkin Show is a time for everyone to "come home". I run into high school and college buddies I never see otherwise, because people come out of the woodwork for the Show. I get to see who has children, and who is home from college, etc. It's a great time. I have experienced the Show from many different aspects, from working food booths to parking cars, from living and working downtown to driving in from my parents...It's all been great times. It's a major part of my life every year. I'm thankful for such a fun tradition that enriches my life.

Time for some pumpkin fudge!