Pumpkin people draw visitors from coast-to-coast

BY KIRK STARRATT

The Advertiser

NovaNewsNow.com



They’re always a popular attraction and this year is no exception. The pumpkin people of Kentville are drawing visitors from coast-to-coast.

Parks and Recreation Resource and Special Events coordinator Pam Sansom said the pumpkin people displays make for a great family time in Kentville. There have been people from Vancouver here to see them and one couple from out west drove all the way here in their RV just to take them in.

She said Mayor Dave Corkum, councillors and the Parks and Recreation staff are extremely pleased with how people pulled together for the pumpkin people supply giveaway at Memorial Park Saturday morning, Sept. 30.

People were asked to give a non-perishable food donation in exchange for their supplies and Sansom said there was great support. Her trunk ended up full of food and they brought in about $100 in monetary donations as well. She took the donations to Kentville Police Chief Mark Mander, who delivered them to the Interchurch Food Bank.

They began the initiative last year, but this year was more successful as more people realized they were trying to support the food bank. Sansom said there’s a lot going on in terms of local churches involved in the Canadian Foodgrains Bank project selling their pumpkins to help the hungry overseas. The town’s initiative, she said, would help within our own community.



KISS concert on the Hill

In terms of the pumpkin people in general, Sansom said they’re getting a lot of great response to the displays. There’s a KISS concert going on by Burgher Hill, as well as a scene from past Apple Blossom Festivals at the Cornwallis Inn with princesses waving from the balcony.

By the research station, Gerald Little, who constructs the pumpkin people for the town every year, has recreated a scene from a photo taken in 1936 of various military personnel and the princesses. As well, pumpkin people and ribbons represent a game children used to play at the Apple Blossom Festival.

In fact, “75 years of Apple Blossom History� was the theme for this year’s business and residential pumpkin people contest.

Sansom said the RCMP pumpkin people by the research station seem popular as several individuals, ladies in particular, have stopped to get photos taken with them.

Unfortunately, as in the past, there has been vandalism this year. Sansom said the ones made to represent armed forces personnel by the cenotaph have been hit hard. They had eight there and now there are only a couple left. People are taking the clothing off the creations.

“It’s a shame,� she said. “We put them up for people to enjoy then people destroy them, and it’s not children.� Sansom said the vandalism seems to occur during the early morning hours. It’s a great expense because the town has to purchase all the supplies to make the pumpkin people possible.



Sad situation

She said she thinks the vandalism is sadder than in the past as the clothing has been stolen and the pumpkin people pulled up out of the ground. Little followed a trail of seeds leading from the scene by the cenotaph and found pumpkin people bodies without the clothes. Sansom said if people would just wait and ask for the clothing after the displays are finished, they’d be happy to oblige.

The vandalism could be a safety concern if the stakes holding the pumpkin people in the ground are broken off. She said a visitor could be hurt badly. Police can lay charges if people are caught destroying the displays. Sansom said one fellow who took the head off a pumpkin person at Paddy’s Pub was caught.

Regardless, she wanted to thank everyone for attending the Harvest Festival kick-off in Centre Square on Thanksgiving weekend. Visitors enjoyed the entertainment, vendors and making pumpkin people. There were more than 20 vendors this year and Sansom said they were all pretty happy with the turnout.

Sansom got a bunch of small pumpkins from Save-Easy for children to make crafts and, using pipe cleaners and other items, they made spiders. She prepared 150 bags with the parts for the crafts and the supplies ran out quickly. She said there was great imagination displayed.

She said the three businesses that won the pumpkin people contest for commercial establishments included TMC Law, the Kings Arms Pub and Paddy’s Pub. Local businessman Dave Reid supplied gift certificates for the winners of the residential contest and, along with Porter’s, provided the plaques for the business winners.