Fiery Faces fundraiser to light up Petrolia Discovery Boom Town

Pumpkin carving and other preparations have begun for this year’s Fiery Faces family fundraiser running Oct. 19 to 22 in Petrolia.

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Plans are to have hundreds of carved pumpkins lit up evenings Oct. 20 to 22 at Petrolia Discovery’s Boom Town, and host a family day Oct. 21 at the YMCA in Petrolia.

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Fiery Faces began about 15 years ago when Cheryl Veary, inspired by a New York State event known as the Great Jack-o’-lantern Blaze, carved a few pumpkins with friends to light and display outside her home.

The event grew and eventually moved to the fairgrounds in Wyoming with hundreds of carved pumpkins and took on different forms until it paused amid pandemic restrictions before re-emerging last fall in Petrolia.

Veary is a member of the Kiwanis Club there, which took on organizing Fiery Faces as a community event.

“So far, the response has been very positive,” she said.

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More than $1,000 has already been raised this year from sponsors and Veary said she planned to start carving pumpkins on the weekend.

Most of the jack-o’-lantern-making is expected to happen at a community carving night Oct. 19, 5 to 8 pm, at the Discovery oil heritage site in Petrolia.

“We invite the public to come out (and) bring pumpkins to put out on display,” Veary said.

Pumpkin donors can carve them at home or that evening at the Discovery, she said.

Donors are asked to cut holes in the bottom of the pumpkins to remove the seeds and pulp because the finished jack-o’-lanterns will be placed on strands of outdoor lights.

“We light the pumpkins for three nights,” Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6 to 9 pm, Veary said. Admission is free.

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Local groups have been invited to get involved and the local Lion’s Club will have its food truck operating on site one evening.

Rebound Rocks will perform another evening, with food by BGC Sarnia-Lambton.

Girl Guides and Scouts in Wyoming will provide hot beverages and another group will serve popcorn during a few of the evenings, Veary said.

“We getting more into the whole community spirit of it,” she said.

Family day at the YMCA, on Saturday, Oct. 21, 11 am to 3 pm, will include a dunk tank, games and crafts for kids. “And of course, pumpkin carving,” Veary said.

Families also are encouraged to make Halloween-themed gingerbread houses and bring them to the family day.

A professional auctioneer will be on hand at the YMCA to help raise funds at the dunk tank.

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Last year, at least 10 people volunteered to be in the dunk tank, Veary said.

More than $2,000 was raised at the 2022 event for Kiwanis-backed community projects, and more than 200 pumpkins were carved and lit at Discovery Boom Town.

“I’m really hoping this year we can get past the 500 mark and put on a really awesome display,” Veary said.

In the spring, organizers gave out seeds to encourage local gardeners to grow pumpkins for the event.

“You never know what to expect on Thursday night, but I look forward, hopefully, to a lot of people bringing pumpkins and carving them,” she said.

New this year is a Kiwanis Murder Mystery Dinner, Oct. 28, at Kingswell Glen Golf Course. For tcket information, visit fieryfaces.ca.

For more details or to help out, email organizers at [email protected].

[email protected]

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