The 8th Annual Pumpkin Festival was a smashing success for members of the Kenai Peninsula.
According to Tyler Best, the Kenai Parks and Recreation Director, this event had an amazing turnout from start to finish.
“It is going really well so far. I mean, for our 8th annual Pumpkin Festival, we couldn’t ask for a better weather. It’s super sunny, it’s not windy, and the event started at noon, but we probably had like 250 people come by between 11 and noon. So people came early and they just wanted to get out and enjoy the sunny day,” said Best.
There were various spots for families to take fun photos, such as a Charlie Brown face cut-out, and a big salmon. Some other fun activities for families included a hay ride, giants bubbles to play with, and K-Beach Elementary offered face painting.
Many littles ones picked up a pumpkin at the Kenai City Library throughout the past week, which they could decorate and submit into the pumpkin decorating contest. Others decided to utilize the hay maze, where they could choose their perfect pumpkin, and create a masterpiece to submit, or just to have some fun.
“The library had 160 people come and get pumpkins for their pumpkin painting contest earlier this week, which are on display now. So we have just over 1000 for everyone else to come through the hay maze and that’s where you can pick up your pumpkin at,” said Best.
For the families that choose to decorate their pumpkins on site, Chelsey Mourdch, the front team lead for Walmart, worked to ensure that the pumpkin painting station was freshly stocked with paints, paintbrushes, and water-cups. According to them, the kids were very excited to show-off their inner artist.
“They’re just going at it. They’ve been doing wonder, like doing really, really good on their own without any help,” said Mourdch.
As for Lumi Thiry, a fellow Walmart companion and cashier, they were every impressed with some of these creations. “It’s just a blast to see them just explore their imaginations and create whatever they think!”
After the winners of the pumpkin contest were selected, it was time for the fated event, the pumpkin drop!
City Council member Alex Douthit was raised 60 feet in the air, along with a fellow Kenai City Fireman, to attempt to drop a pumpkin into the kiddie wadding pool far below him. With five pumpkins, that meant he had only five chances to get one pumpkin in the pool. If he could manage it, the families would receive free McDonald’s ice cream coupons! And if he didn’t…. there would be suckers as a consolation prize.
But still! There was a lot on the line! The crowd counted down… Five, four, three, two, one!
The pumpkin fell from the sky and splatted on the ground, a miss! Attempt number two, another miss!
Children’s anxious eyes begged for the councilmember to make this drop, ice cream was on the line! As Douthit dropped the third pumpkin, the crowd fell silent, watching in anticipation. And then SPLASH! The pumpkin landed in the pool! The crowd cheered as Douthit was able to land the final two pumpkins into the pool, making 3 out of five shots!
After Douthit was safely back on the ground, he radiated with pride and excitement to have made the shots.
“It’s a little nerve wracking the first couple of times you only missed it’s it’s a lot further up there than you realize. Even that small pool starts to get to be a small target,” said Douthit. “It goes up pretty high when you look over there, like well that pool looks a lot bigger on the ground than up there, so but it worked good he that was the bit of advice the mayor gave me. Says bring lots of pumpkins, so I brought five pumpkins up. Gives you a couple test shots so you can get it dialed in.”
Once everyone received their prizes, members of the Kenai community were able to take home their perfect pumpkins, and closed out the 8th annual Fall Festival.
