Pumpkin Weekends Showcase Fall in All Its Glory

Sweet as it is, the fall season is just too short. The brilliant colors of autumn leaves burst onto the scene suddenly, only to be whisked away on the next windy day.

Fortunately, the Fox Valley Park District makes this glorious season last a little longer with its annual Pumpkin Weekends at Blackberry Farm. During every weekend in October plus Columbus Day—11 days in all—fall is celebrated in its full glory. Daily hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Already, the leaf-peepers are out and about. The pumpkins are fat and firm. The chilly nights and football tailgate parties confirm that fall is here.

You just can’t get too much of this, which is why Pumpkin Weekends were created.

“We used to do a Fall Festival in October each year, and it was so popular and well-received that we expanded the event to include every weekend,” said Sandy Smith, facility supervisor at Blackberry Farm.

Fall harvests go back to the times of pioneers, when locals would toast another bountiful growing season, so Blackberry Farm is the perfect setting for this kind of celebration.

From pioneer days to modern times, the same sense of community lives on with Pumpkin Weekends. The kids will delight in the interactive games and exciting displays, while the adults may very well feel like kids themselves.

Each weekend will feature a special theme and one low admission price ($4) that includes unlimited rides on the train, carousel and hay wagon. If you’re feeling creative, take a train ride and visit the pumpkin patch at Blackberry, purchase your own pumpkin and paint it right there at the special decorating station.

I’m guessing most of those pumpkins will be wearing broad smiles when they leave.

The fun starts Saturday (Oct. 1) and, as an added bonus, opening weekend will include an antique car show from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, featuring street rods, customized cars and classic automobiles built before 1983.

Pumpkin activities are the theme on Oct. 8, when kids can decorate Halloween masks, play pumpkin Bozo buckets, pumpkin ring toss and other games.

The scarecrows come out on Oct. 15 and 16; scarecrows decorated by local families, school groups and Scout troops will be on display.

The final two weekends—Oct. 22-23 and Oct. 29-30—are highlighted by a traditional favorite. A trick-or-treat walk will be held before the park opens each Saturday (Oct. 22 & 29). Costumed visitors will make their way around to nine trick-or-treat stations, followed by a costume contest.

It’s a great warm-up for Halloween, which falls on the final Sunday of October.

“We don’t have the powers of Mother Nature,” said Smith, “but we’re doing everything we can to make this season last just a little bit longer.”

Cherish fall while it’s here, because we know what season is next…

Jeff Long is the public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District; contact him at jlong@fvpd.net. For more information on Pumpkin Weekends, call Blackberry Farm at 630-892-1550.