Festival celebrates all things pumpkin… and more
- Brenda Moser
- Oct 9
- 3 min read
Brenda Moser
Advocate Correspondent
With October officially here, it is time to start the countdown to Waterford Pumpkinfest!
The 2025 edition of the yearly festival, which marks its 43rd anniversary, will be held Friday, Oct. 17th to Sunday, Oct. 19th.
On Saturday, Sept. 27, it was ‘all hands on deck’ at the Foodland parking lot in Waterford for the opening of this year’s Pumpkinfest clothing sales and it was busy!
“By 8:15 a.m. there was already a lineup for a 9 a.m. opening of sales and it was pretty much non-stop from there,” stated Official Clothing organizer Gisele Vervaet.
Jim McEachren, Pumpkinfest chairperson, stated, “Each year we hold a contest, from January to March, inviting everyone that wants to submit a design logo idea. This year there were 13 designs submitted.”
Voting was open to Norfolk County residents and the winning submission by Cory Girard, depicting a very large pumpkin in the back of a pickup truck, has captured the essence of Pumpkinfest as well as Norfolk County.
On Thursday, Oct. 16, clothing will be on sale in front of the Waterford arena on Church Street East from 5-8 p.m. Friday sales will run from 1-9 p.m., Saturday 10:30-6:30 and Sunday 11-4. Be sure to get yours early because they will sell like hot cakes!
Friday, Oct. 17, be sure to take in the grand fireworks display by the arena. This event always attracts a huge crowd so you might want to get there early to find the ‘perfect’ viewing spot. Donations gratefully accepted. Rain date is Saturday.
Saturday, Oct. 18 you will need to get into town early if you want to get a good vantage spot to enjoy the Pumpkinfest Parade. This year’s parade marshal is Shane Bergman, former Calgary Stampeder, CFL star, and two-time Grey Cup Champion. Shane was born locally, lived in Teeterville and attended Waterford District High School. Let’s give him a great homecoming welcome!
A new event this year is Line Dancing, Saturday night at the Ukrainian Hall on Thompson Road East. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and dancing runs from 7-10 p.m. Instructors from Urban Cowboy will be on hand for those familiar with the dance and those new to the activity. The cost is just $20 and you can get your tickets by emailing pumpkindancebeats@gmail.com . It is a licensed event but open to all ages and there will be door prizes as well. Get out those dancing shoes!
Sunday, Oct. 19, will host one of the highlights of the weekend when the annual Waterford Lions Car Show is held at the high school football field. With hundreds of entries you will want to allow some time to check out all of the vehicles… classic, modified, new, old… they will have them all.
Also be sure to catch some ‘different’ cars at the Soap Box Derby. This year it is being run down Alice Street (location change) on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 10:30 a.m. The event is open to kids ages 6-14 years and will go rain or shine. There are two divisions - ages 6-10 and 11-14 - and pre-registration is required by Wednesday, Oct. 16. You can go to www.pumpkinfest.com for more details and to pre-register.
There are so many events planned for Pumpkinfest weekend so plan to take in as many as possible. You can check out Pumpkinfest shows, events and all weekend activities by visiting their website or their Facebook page (Waterford Pumpkinfest). Free event booklets will also be available at various locations.
It’s a great time with lots of activities for the whole family to enjoy!
Comments