Houston celebrates 40 years of all things pumpkin
Observer-Reporter
The pumpkin decorating station is a big draw for young artists and their parents. Logan Titchenell, then 2, decorates his find at the Houston Pumpkin Festival with his parents, Ginny and Charles.
Molly Lanigan, then 8, of Houston scales the rock climbing wall with ease during the 2021 Houston Pumpkin Festival while her mother, Jessica Ali, and her brothers, Kieran and Rowan, watched her from the safety of the ground. The rock climbing wall is a favorite attraction at the annual festival.
In this file photo from 2021, Makenzie Hull, then 9, and her brother Evan, then 6, see just how tall they are this fall at the Houston Pumpkin Festival. The kids, both of Washington, attended the festival with their grandmother Kathy Hull, who was visiting from New Jersey.
In this file photo from 2018, Matthew Egizio, then 2, of North Strabane Township, checks out the animals at a petting zoo at Houston鈥檚 Pumpkin Festival.
Teo Zatta and Teresa Bukmanic, both of Washington, dance to the music of 鈥淔ive Guys Named Moe鈥� during a prior Houston Pumpkin Festival.
In this file photo, a Canonsburg boy patrols for candy during the Houston Pumpkin Festival parade.
The parade is always a big draw at the Houston Pumpkin Festival.
The pumpkin pie eating contest is part of the fun at the Houston Pumpkin Festival.
One year, the Houston Pumpkin Festival hosted a duck race in Chartiers Creek, and the rubber duckies floated all the way to Carnegie, laughed Charles Meddings, a firefighter who serves on the festival planning committee.
Festival planning committee members Charles "Buzz" Meddings, Darlene Taylor and Jonathan Taylor stroll down memory lane, admiring the several scrapbooks Darlene has put together that chronicle the Houston Pumpkin Festival's history. "I love being a part of it," said Darlene. "I'm proud of it."
While Pike Street is no longer covered in hand-painted pumpkins ahead of the Houston Pumpkin Festival, the artistry is detailed in the event's history books, put together and maintained by Darlene Taylor.
On the pages of Darlene Taylor's Houston Pumpkin Festival scrapbooks are snippets of parades past, including this image of the "batty" Red Hat Society from Washington, Pa. The purple F-150 was driven by Aaron Mansfield, whose wife, Nora, back right, designed the poster and pumpkins.
Many falls ago, before pumpkin spice became a season, the streets of Houston, Pa., closed down for a small seasonal celebration.
After a decade of welcoming larger and larger crowds to Pike Street and, more importantly, the less-than-a-square-mile town, the Houston Pumpkin Festival committee, founded by former mayor Henry Polinski, passed the party-planning reins to the local fire department.
鈥淭he fire department took it over in its 11th year,鈥� said Jonathan Taylor, a member of both the Houston Volunteer Fire Department and the pumpkin festival planning committee. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a rain-or-shine event. It kind of showcases the community. It鈥檚 a lot of fun: three nights with a lot of friends. I鈥檒l see people at that festival that I might only see at that festival, past acquaintances and people I worked with. That might be the only time I see them a year.鈥�
Each year, an estimated 50,000 people flock to Pike Street to celebrate all things autumn. Of course, that number has grown steadily over the years. When the fest outgrew busy Pike Street in the mid-90s, the fire department moved the fun to the Houston American Legion grounds, where the 40th annual Houston Pumpkin Festival kicks off at noon Friday, Oct. 13, with the traditional opening ceremony, followed by the crowning of the festival prince and princess.
鈥淭he Chartiers-Houston School District band does the opening ceremony and we crown a prince and princess, kids from Allison Elementary School,鈥� said Darlene Taylor, the festival鈥檚 historian and fearless leader. 鈥淎nd then the youth cheerleaders from C-H perform.鈥�
The festival runs from noon to 7 p.m. Oct. 13, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 14 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 15. For three days, more than 175 area vendors set up shop on the expansive Legion grounds, selling everything from crystals and stones to tumblers, from crafts to furniture and home decor, and other items made with love.
Food trucks, including Johnny鈥檚 Seafood Shack, JD鈥檚 Kettlecorn and Stone Church Acres Farm (who鈥檚 adding all things apple to this year鈥檚 pumpkin fest) will also be on site. A favorite foodie stop is the Houston firemen鈥檚 booth, where every year first responders dish up funnel cakes, serve pizza slices and sell pumpkin festival apparel.
鈥淲e have a different T-shirt every year, and some people come that have bought one every year,鈥� Jonathan said.
Live entertainment will keep people鈥檚 toes tapping throughout the three-day event, including the Canon-McMillan Steel Band and the Gus is Us Duo at 1 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday, respectively.
Throughout the long weekend, attendees can scale new heights at the rock climbing wall, pick and decorate pumpkins or compete in the third-annual Scarecrow Contest. The contest is open to families, businesses and organizations who decorate a scarecrow for display during the festival.
Visitors often pose for selfies with their favorite scarecrow and contribute a cash donation to that piece鈥檚 voting box. Donations go toward fire education, and winners receive prizes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a lot of fun,鈥� Darlene said.
While every moment of the Houston Pumpkin Festival is a highlight, some events shine brighter or harken back to fests of old.
鈥淭he parade鈥檚 been a constant since the beginning,鈥� said Jonathan.
At 10 a.m. Oct. 14, the 40th annual parade will wind down Pike Street from Shady Avenue to Cherry Avenue. The parade lasts about an hour and includes a variety of floats, musical acts and candy for young spectators to collect.
The pumpkin pie eating contest is also a time-honored tradition that draws a big crowd (cash prizes are awarded for the three fastest eaters).
鈥淵ou鈥檙e twisting people鈥檚 arms to get into it. It鈥檚 an eight-inch pie, and it鈥檚 the speed in which you can down it. It鈥檚 gross,鈥� Darlene laughed. 鈥淏ut the crowd absolutely loves it.鈥�
Part of the festival鈥檚 charm is that the event changes annually while staying true to its core: it鈥檚 always pumpkin-centric, with lots of pumpkin things available for purchase near the festival entrance. The festival committee works hard to make each year spectacular. In the past, the festival has hosted wacky stunts including seed spitting contests, haunted houses and hayrides, gigantic pumpkin live carvings and bed races.
鈥淭hey would shut the street down for it,鈥� Jonathan said with a smile. 鈥淚t was a team of three or four. You built your bed, decorated 鈥� it had to be on wheels. They would go one block and then you had to sop, turn the bed around and put a different person on the bed and then finish (the race).鈥�
In the pumpkin festival鈥檚 younger days, the fire department shut down Pike Street and painted the town orange 鈥� literally.
鈥淏efore the intersection was this large, we would actually shut the intersection down for a couple hours and (a local art teacher) would hand-draw a big scene or something on the street. It was awesome,鈥� said Charles 鈥淏uzz鈥� Meddings, a firefighter who has been involved with the festival since its inception. 鈥淭hen we would paint pumpkins going each way, Main Street, Pike Street. We put cornstalks on all the light poles. We don鈥檛 paint the streets anymore.鈥�
But Houston does come to life in October, when the town is dressed in autumn colors just in time for the Pumpkin Festival. Many festival-goers don鈥檛 realize the nostalgic, family-friendly event is the Houston Volunteer Fire Department鈥檚 biggest fundraiser of the year, the thing that keeps its doors open and its equipment up to standards.
鈥淲e used to ride on the back of fire trucks and we never had a breathing mask. You wrapped a handkerchief around,鈥� Meddings said, recalling his early firefighting days. 鈥淩equirements now for fire service are 鈥� pretty hard to keep up with, monetarily.鈥�
Houston VFD is hoping to replace its 30-year-old truck with a brand new engine, and this year鈥檚 festival will play a key part in that upgrade.
鈥淚t鈥檚 time to replace it. We鈥檙e looking at an $800,000 engine. When you throw that price out there 鈥� that鈥檚 a lot of funnel cakes,鈥� Jonathan said.
Unlike surrounding fire departments, Houston does not receive funding from casinos or a large tax base; the borough boasts a population of about 1,200. That鈥檚 why the festival is so important: not only does it bring the community together, but it helps to keep residents safe.
鈥淎 town this size cannot support a fire department,鈥� Jonathan said. 鈥淲e live or die by it.鈥�
And people, well, they live for the pumpkin festival.
鈥淲hen it all comes together and you see all the people interacting and working together, sure makes you proud,鈥� said Meddings. 鈥淚t just keeps evolving, and we love it.鈥�
For more on this year鈥檚 Houston Pumpkin Festival, visit http://www.houstonpumpkinfestival.net/.