Battersea Pumpkin Festival draws a crowd

Jeff Green | Oct 09, 2019

The Battersea Pumpkin Festival celebrated its 25th season this Saturday in Battersea by making it a free event, but they didn’t advertise that aspect.

“We stopped advertising it altogether,” said Amanda Pantry, chair of the organizing committee. “A few years ago, we had a publicity person and advertised in the city.

“But we ended up getting more than 3,000 people and that was too many for us to handle.

“Parking was a nightmare but over the years, we’ve gotten a little bit smarter.”

Pantry estimated they would have about 2,000 visitors when all was said and done, and that was just fine with them.

A big part of why they could make the 25th a free festival was a community project grant from the Township, said former chair Alvin Wood.

“Our councillors work hard for the Township and us,” said Pantry. “A big thank you to them and all our sponsors and volunteers (about 50).”

She said they did some “re-jigging” and expanding of the vendors area to allow more local vendors to get a spot.

Many of the activities (vendors market, petting zoo, face painting, inflatables, the train rides provided by the Frontenac Society of Model Engineers, the pie eating contest, as well as various entertainment venues and crafts and games) are held at the Ball Park. However, the parade did wind into the village as did the wagon rides  and there was story telling and a pie social at the Battersea United Church Hall, a beer garden at the Holiday Country Manor and Little Betty at the Creekside Bar and Grill.

Pantry said the Wizard of Oz theme came from Heather Freeman.

“She got the idea and ran with it,” Pantry said. “In true Heather fashion.”