6 Things to do at the 60th Barnesville Pumpkin Festival
It’s a big year for the home of the big pumpkins! Barnesville is rolling out the orange carpet for the 60th Annual Barnesville Pumpkin Festival Sept. 26-29 An estimated 100,000 people will visit this village, with a population of only about 4,000. This four-day event includes great food and fun contests, a huge car show, a giant pumpkin parade, a 5K run and walk, the crowning of the 2024 King Pumpkin, and so much more! Here are the Top 6 things you don’t want to miss at the 60th Annual Barnesville Pumpkin Festival.
1. Watch the Giant Pumpkin Parade – Crowds of thousands eagerly await Saturday’s main event kicking off at 12:45 pm. Meandering over a mile, the Giant Pumpkin Parade travels through town with marching bands, dancers, festival royalty, antique cars and tractors, horses, and pumpkin-themed floats. Trophies are awarded to Best Float, Best Group, Best Horse/Rider(s), Best Horse Drawn, Best Royalty, Best Tractor, Best Pumpkin Theme, Best Car, and Unique. Past King Pumpkin growers will ride on a custom-made float as they are honored as this year’s parade marshalls. A recording of the parade will be posted on Belmont County Tourism’s Facebook page after the event.
2. Celebrate the Opening Ribbon Cutting – It’s all about the festival royalty at the official opening ceremony and ribbon cutting on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 5 pm. The 2024 Queen, Princess, and Mini Miss are presented at this kick-off event. The King Pumpkin Trophy, The Founders Cup, and the Second and Third place trophies will be presented. For this special anniversary, the ribbon will be cut by Thomas Rockwell, winner of the first King Pumpkin in 1964. After the ribbon cutting, stay for the Talent Show at 5:30 pm on the Pumpkin Stage, and the Pumpkin Baby and Little Miss and Mr. contests, beginning at 6:30 pm at the First Christian Church. The winners will be presented at 7:30 pm at the King Pumpkin Area. Thursday is also the Ride All Night for $15.
3. Honor Our Veterans – The Eyes of Freedom traveling service memorial will be displayed during the Pumpkin Festival and has become an annual event. The installation was conceived to honor the Lima Company of Lima, Ohio — a Marine company that suffered severe losses during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The memorial now travels nationwide in memory of all who have served and sacrificed for our country, with an additional focus on veterans suffering from PTSD and other mental health issues. The memorial will be set up at the Barnesville Middle School cafeteria from 12-8 pm Wed..-Sat. and 10 am-6 pm Sunday.
4. Eat Something Pumpkin – A trip to the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival just wouldn’t be complete without partaking in delicious pumpkin goodies! The Barnesville Pumpkin Festival offers a variety of mouth-watering food and many pumpkin-flavored options, including pie, fudge, bread, donuts, and ice cream. Stop by the Barnesville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Pumpkin Wagon for pumpkin pie, donuts, and ice cream. Like the pumpkin wagon, many food vendors are local non-profit organizations, so you can’t go wrong with whatever you pick. (We recommend the Barnesville Rotary Club’s fish sandwich, Olney Friends School pumpkin bread, and the Shekinah Church’s beef and noodles).
5. See a Giant Pumpkin Carving –Squashcarver Gus Smithhisler will return to the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival on Thursday, Sept. 26. See a live giant pumpkin carving demonstration at 1 pm at the King Pumpkin Stand. Smithhisler is a nationally recognized professional pumpkin carver and food artist specializing in giant pumpkins, cheese, Jack-o Lanterns, and 3D sculpture. He was on Halloween Wars Season 6 on the Food Network. His work has also been displayed at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, Franklin Park Conservatory, the Ohio State Fair, the Circleville Pumpkin Show, and many other events, attractions, and venues around the country.
6. Visit museums and historic sites – During the festival don’t miss the local history displays at the Watt Center For History & The Arts, 511 Watt Ave., Thursday-Sunday, and take advantage of their annual book sale. The Belmont County Victorian Mansion Museum, 532 N. Chestnut St., is open for tours by $5 admission Friday and Sunday from 12-4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. during the festival and features a quilt display. The History Detectives of Belmont County have created the Where’s the Great Pumpkin?: A HDBC Harvest History Hunt walking tour of Barnesville and brochures will be available at various locations during the festival. While in Barnesville make a stop at Dickinson Cattle Co., 3500 Muskrat Rd., for a tour of this working cattle ranch. Here you can see herds of Texas Longhorn, BueLingo, and African Watusi cattle and shop for Longhorn beef and other products in the Longhorn Heads to Tails store.
View a flip book of the pumpkin tab and schedule of events. Learn more about the History of the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival.
