Sharpen your pumpkin carving skills as the Midwest is a couple sleeps from that jack-o’-lantern coming alive for Friday’s Pumpkin Fest in downtown and 49 Street, Lloydminster.
With over 30 vendors, live music, pumpkin pie, bbq and a celebration of the Fall season, Legacy DIY’s Lorne Davidson says downtown will be lit from 7 p.m.
“It goes from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The thing that I’m most excited about is 7 o’clock, which is the lighting of the pumpkins. So we are looking to make this an annual event, so October 1st from now until the end of time, we are lighting pumpkins up and creating a really cool downtown atmosphere.”
Davidson dishes on the festival featured, pumpkin carving contest.
“This year we are being sponsored by the Lloydminster Coop as well as Legacy DIY who are pitching in for the pumpkins for Lloydminster, to participate in the pumpkin carvings this year. Anyone interested in carving a pumpkin can come down, purchase a pumpkin on site and do some carving. All the proceeds go towards our SPCA.”
Local business is super excited about Pumpkin Fest Davidson noted, and with the challenges facing business over the last 20 months, entrepreneurs are looking to stick it to COVID in more unique ways.
“We have been brainstorming a lot with some of our downtown businesses on how to really rejuvenate our downtown atmosphere. COVID has really spun us for a loop as far as some our events we were planning for this Summer. But, it’s now at the point where we believe that we need to start learning to live with COVID versus avoiding it.”
Davidson says the entire bottom of 49 Street will be blocked off and there will be physical distancing in place, with six feet between vendors’ displays.
Some of the vendors involved include Dave’s Kustom Leather, Kashuba Catering Ltd, Angelic Designs, Beyouty $ Bliss, Lions and Lambs, Get Hooked, On The Rocks, Krazy Kat Lady, Lakehouse Naturals Soap Company, Turnip Home and Security, Weighted Blankets of Joy, Get Your Scrunch On, Bellezza Moda, Peaks and Crafts, Stitches and Such and lots more.
The biggest pumpkin contest is on and Davidson says some heavyweights will be rolling in.
“We have a gentleman who approached Dawn from Dawn Interiors. There’s rumour that he’s coming down with an extremely large pumpkin, so we are really excited about that. Supposedly he’s won multiple events out in Smoky Lake and unfortunately they canceled their event out at Smoky Lake this year.”
Several downtown merchants will also be hosting sidewalk sales and joining in the Fall themed decor and lighting up at 7 p.m.
The parking lot at Cliff Rose for Clothes will host a musical lineup which includes, Kenny Mac and Caroline Parke. Earl Stevenson will be playing at Legacy DIY and the ARC Foursquare Church will have gospel music along with pumpkin pie and hot chocolate.