"Great Start" to Pumpkin Fest

Saturday the Bessemer Chamber of Commerce sponsored the 32nd Annual Pumpkin Fest  Unlike last year with early morning snow flurries and frigid temperatures, this year festival goers would experience beautiful summer-like weather. Pictured above are moms and kids from the Gogebic-Ontonagon Head Start Collaboration.

Although you might have liked to stay outdoors and enjoy the warmth of the sunshine, many of the Saturday's events were held indoors.

The morning started off with a pancake breakfast hosted by the Knights of Columbus. The fundraiser was held in the gymnasium at St. Sebastian's School building

Many local and visiting crafters were selling and exhibiting their goods, including glassware, rugs, scarves, blankets, along with quilting, Halloween and Christmas decorations. The craft was held in the A.D. Johnson High School gymnasium, and was very well attended, which made for many happy  vendors.

Halloween came early to Bessemer when a kiddy "Halloween Parade" took center stage on Sophie Street. The parade was very well attended, when lots of kids came out to the parade and for the other events planned for their entertainment. There was were many activities for the kids, after all the Pumpkin Festival is a family day celebration.

A pie social was held from 11:00 am to 3:00pm at the City Hall gymnasium. Entertainment was provided by the great Gogebic Range Concert Band, as well as other entertainment. The Washington School Elementary Choir was giving a concert down the street at the Washington School Gym. The pies were great and reasonably priced. YUMMMMMM!

Also on hand for the kids was ventriloquist Dave Parker and Skippy at Pumpkin Square. The kids really enjoyed this show. Another winner for the kids was the street bowling, where a pumpkin replaces a bowling ball. There were carnival rides and as you might expect, they were a big hit.

There were other seasonal events at the Festival, including a scare crow and totem pole contest and a contest for Pumpkin, Squash and Sunflower contest.

There was a return to days of yore with exhibitions by SCA that included hand-to-hand combat. Exhibitions occurred throughout the day at the encampment on Sophie Street.

At E.J Oas there was a Trebuchet (catapult) demonstration. Pumpkins were catapujted through the air a a fortress down da road.  The mechanism was cocked and then kids were able to pull on a rope releasing the trigger mechanism. The defenders in the fortress had there been any would be reading this story this morning. It was a really neat event.

Spanning the generations at the speed of light; the Trebuchet and SCA events on Saturday followed a Geo Caching pumpkin find just 24 hours earlier. Now that's time travel!

Later in the day there was a Roast Beef-Rotisserie and Chicken dinner at the Bessemer VFW, where the great Blue Grass Group the Up North Connection provided the entertainment. There also was a Teen Dance hosted at the City Hall Gymnasium.