Thank you to everyone who came out to PumpkinFest! We had a great time and we hope you did too!
11 AM – 3 PM - While Supplies Last!
Live Music + Performances • Family Fun Activities • Marketplace & Harvest Food
All-Stars Trunk or Treat
WGE + Whip City Fiber Big Rig Rally
Scouting America Encampment
Starting at 11 AM
Pumpkin Carving or Decorating
While Supplies Last
The festival has as its central component, the Pumpkin Carving Tent, under which children and their families may carve or decorate free gutted pumpkins. Families are asked to dress in their favorite costumes. It is in association with the fine staff of the Greater Westfield Boys & Girls Club.
Close to 1500 pumpkins, donated by Calabrese Farms, will be available while supplies last. We are indebted each year to the dedicated work of Scouting America Troops 124 and 821 and Cub Scout Pack 820, who guard and gut the pumpkins as they camp on the field overnight, so that the pumpkins are ready for carving.
Once pumpkins are carved and/or decorated, they may be placed in the Pumpkin Patch around a giant pumpkin sculpture, created by Westfield ironwork sculptors Sebastian and Connor Glebocki, while participants enjoy the other PumpkinFest activities.
This year’s Main Stage sparkles with great entertainment throughout the day. While the stage is being reset for the next performances, Westfield radio/tv personality Jay Pagluica will spin songs of the spooky season. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own blankets and chairs, should they wish to be seated during the stage shows.
Westfield’s own “superstar” Madison Curbelo and her band headline on the main stage with two sparkling sets of great music, beginning at 11am. Fresh from her time as a finalist on NBCTV’s “The Voice,” when she won fans across the globe, Madison has prepared a special PumpkinFest program with a few surprises, celebrating the season. Costumed PumpkinFest attendees might even become a winner, when Madison hosts her own award ceremony for her favorite costume and audience member. Madison’s band includes her brothers Vander Curbelo (guitar) and Angel Curbelo (drums) and Alex Keaveney on bass guitar.
Other main stage performers include: the Westfield High School Pep Band under the direction of Patrick Kennedy (The Attik, a home-grown R&B/Rock/Pop band with Matthew Bussell (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Camden Bouley (drums), Ethan Sirard (bass, sax) and David Beattie (rhythm guitar, bass); and the All Star Dance Center Dancers.
Throughout PumpkinFest, Cassie Remillard of Rhode Island’s Cass Creative Pumpkin Carving will fashion two fanciful 3D characters from a 50-pound pumpkin and a smaller one that will be raffled off as part of the PumpkinFest raffle. Cassie is a renowned carver whose designs have been seen on the Food Network’s “Outrageous Pumpkins;” and at Jack-O-Lantern festivals in Boston, Governor’s Island in NYC and at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence and at Southwick’s Zoo in Mendon.
In addition to spending the night on the Middle School athletic fields and guarding and gutting the 1500 pumpkins to be distributed at PumpkinFest, the able scouts of Scouting America have created an engaging campsite that is worthy of a badge or ten. Troops 821 and 124, together with Cup Scout Pack 820 will be offering free S’more Making around a campfire; a Haunted Campsite with candy treats; a Fishing Game, Inflatable Archery Games, a Bake Sale and an informational table that will invite children and their parents
Strolling performers will include the 10-feet tall giant puppets of the legendary Anne Cubberly, who is the lead artist and former director of Hartford’s “Night Fall” extravaganza. “Costume Characters” from the land of Oz, sponsored by the Carol Saltus Team at LPT Realty will greet attendees and be available for photos at the PumpkinFest Photo Booth, provided by Witalisz & Associates Real Estate.
Children’s games and activities will be provided by the Greater Westfield YMCA, The Greater Westfield Boys and Girls Club, Home Depot, and other area businesses and organizations, while many of the vendor and community booths will be presenting trinkets, treats and PumpkinFest surprises for the youngsters.
More than 20 area organizations and businesses will offer special PumpkinFest fun from face painting and crafting to activities for children at their booths. Some service organizations will provide information about area resources available to children and their families. The variety is extensive – from the Westfield Homeless Cat Project and White Oak School to the Veterans of Foreign War and Massachusetts Mentor Foster Care The business roster is also varied - from bankESB and M & T Bank to Interskate 91 and Wagner Rug.
The PumpkinFest Raffle (11 pm to 2pm) offers attendees the opportunity to support future community events, while purchasing a raffle ticket that might just be a winner. The prizes include gift baskets, lottery tickets, bicycles from Walmart and two professionally carved pumpkin people, created during the festival by artist Cassie Remillard. Winners will be drawn when the raffle ends at 2 pm and posted at the raffle tent. Winners need not be present to win. They will be contacted and also be posted online at westfieldonweekends.com and may be picked up at WOW’s Creative Arts Center at 105 Elm Street. Ticket prices are 3 for $5; 10 for $10; 25 for $20; and 75 for $50.
Attendees choose from an array of harvest food vendors, including the North Elm Butcher Block, Crave Café, Northside Creamery, Vlad’s Pizza and Angelo’s Fried Dough.
The Vendor Marketplace will host artisans, crafters and vendors with a wide variety of merchandise.
In conjunction with PumpkinFest, WOW will also present its fourth drive-by tour of Haunted Houses from October 15 through 31. Residences will be shown and listed on an interactive map. Folks may sign up at PumpkinFest or register by submitting their address on Facebook or through the WOW website.
View this year's Haunted Houses Map
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Friends of WOW include State Senator John Velis, State Representative Kelly Pease Westfield City Councilors (James Adams, John Beltrandi, Karen Fanion, Brent Bean, Richard Sullivan, Cindy Harris, Brigid Matthews-Kane, Bill Onyski, and Ralph Figy); Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce; Joanne Papadimitreo, Coldwell Banker Realty; Dunn & Phillips; and the Westfield Kiwanis.
Funding has also been provided with grants from the Westfield Cultural Council, a program of the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Shurtleff Children’s Services, Inc.
In-kind assistance is being provided by Jerome’s Party Plus, Walmart, the Greater Westfield Boys & Girls Club; Calabrese Farms, The Carol Saltus Team at LBT Realty; Witalisz & Associates Real Estate and the City of Westfield (Mayor’s Office, Police Department, Auxiliary Police, Health Department, Licensing, Housing Department, Park and Rec Department, School Department and Department of Public Works).
