Crowds for in for Pumpkinfest party in Waterford

It was the Flying Furballs that caught Karen Kohl’s attention during a visit to Waterford on Saturday.

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“They were amazing,” Kohl, a Port Colborne resident, said. “You know how, when you were a kid and you played musical chairs.

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“Well, they played music mats with the dogs and it was really something to see.”

Kohl was in town with her husband Dawson for the Waterford Pumpkin Festival. After watching the dog show, put on by the Flying Furballs, the couple headed to Main Street South for the parade.

The couple enjoyed the parade and had a great time in Waterford despite the inclement weather. It was a bit of a homecoming for Dawson, who moved to Waterford as a teenager.

Dawson said back in those days – the 1950s – he was known as Butch.

The couple were part of a large crowd that lined the street to watch the parade and check out all that Pumpkinfest had to offer.

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“Pumpkinfest has gone through a lot of ups and downs over the years,” said Matt Suckel, Pumpkinfest chair. “Back in the 1990s, it was really quite big and then it kind of faded for a bit.

“But over the past five years or so it has started to grow and there’s a lot to see and do.”

The festival celebrated its 41st anniversary on the weekend and included live music, a soapbox derby, a car show, vendors, a kids’ zone and spook house. A high school football game – the Pumpkin Bowl – featured the Waterford Wolves taking on the Holy Trinity Titans on Saturday afternoon. Holy Trinity won the game 34-13.

Organized by the Waterford Lions Club, this year’s Pumpkinfest featured a concert at the Old Town Hall in partnership with Amplify Norfolk.

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“It (Amplify Norfolk) is something the county put together to make Norfolk a tourism destination for concerts,” Suckel said. “They teamed up with us and we just thought it’s a pretty cool endeavour and we’re happy to be part of it.”

The Saturday night concert featured headliner Bedouin Soundclash, supported by Alysha Brilla and Logan Staats

Partnerships and volunteers are the key ingredients to holding a successful festival, Suckle said.

He expected a large crowd for Saturday’s activities despite the rain but determining how many people attend the event annually is anyone’s guess.

“It’s hard to know for sure,” Suckel said. “I’ve heard guesses from 3,000 to 20,000 so I really don’t know.

“I just see it as a fun-friendly event that brings a lot of people to Waterford.”

However, Suckel said this year’s parade attracted at least 65 entries, up from last year’s 55 entries. The fireworks show on Friday night also attracted a large crowd.

Women’s hockey star and Waterford native Elaine Chuli was the parade marshal for Saturday’s parade.

“For me, the big thing about Pumpkinfest is how it brings the community together,” Suckel said. “It’s a really great feeling to see so many people having a good time.”

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