by Kaylie Blais
Hudson’s 2013 Pumpkin Fest was able to draw in a crowd of over 3,000 people. Pumpkin Fest has been a popular attraction in the town of Hudson for many years and has drawn in many crowds. Hudson citizens love to come and see the events that include anything from a bouncy house and a magic show to fireworks at the end of the night. Every year the popularity of Pumpkin Fest always seems to remain the same.
“The events at Pumpkin Fest cater to what’s popular right now; for example this year we have an Angry Birds event,” said Officer Chad Crogan. “It’s always better to have something new every year because that’s what draws in a bigger crowd.”
Pumpkin Fest has many booths run by clubs/businesses in the community but also by some of the kids who attend Hudson High School. Community involvement is a big part of making Pumpkin Fest possible every year.
“Most of the town comes to see Pumpkin Fest and students pitch in; in fact a lot of the tents are run by students, which is great. It’s just a great way to bring everyone together for one night and catch up with people you haven’t seen in a while,” said Crogan. “That’s why I keep coming back.”
Even though there are new events every year, there are also events that stay at Pumpkin Fest year after year, kind of like fan favorites. The fireworks have been a tradition at Pumpkin Fest for years, and a lot of people enjoy seeing them. The bleachers at Pumpkin Fest were pretty crowded at 8:30 this year for the fireworks. There is also the Go Fish booth, which is very popular with kids. Contestants pay a dollar and get three tries to toss the rubber ball into a fish bowl. If they succeed, they win a goldfish.
“My daughter won a goldfish, but a couple minutes later she put the goldfish in her sweater to keep it warm. I decided it might be a better idea to have her sell the fish,” said Andy Vickery.
However while all these new events keep the crowds coming, there are some people who want old events to come back.
“They used to have all the pumpkins lined up at the entrance to Morgan Bowl when you walked in,” said Vickery. “It was a nice set up to have as soon as you walked in, and I really enjoyed it.”
Maybe next year Pumpkin Fest will bring back its entrance exhibit, and the event will get even more popularity. All in all though it would seem that Pumpkin Fest was a big success for the town, and hopefully they are able to keep it up in the coming years.
