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Contest winners for 2025 Sycamore Pumpkin Fest display contest

64th annual winner list for Lions Club contest

Remington Buettner, 6 months, looks around the festivities along with mom Daniele, from Sycamore, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, during opening day of the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival.

The Sycamore Lions Club has announced the winners of the 64th annual Pumpkin Festival display contest.

Hundreds of eager festival-goers entered the contest on Wednesday. Decorated, painted and carved pumpkins of all varieties filled the DeKalb County Courthouse lawn and are available for viewing through Sunday.

This year’s theme, “Pumpkins at the Movies” was thought up by Rayven Rosas, 12, who also got to cut a giant cake to open the festival on Wednesday.

According to the Lions Club, this year’s contest had 1,618 entries.

This year’s Pick of the Patch winner is Sonja Flatter. The President’s Award went to Lisa Mayntz and Bill Blipy.

Below are the winners for each category:

Happy and Fancy

5 and under

1st – Eleanor Culton

2nd – Oakleigh Marie Paulson

3rd – Arthur Farlinger

6-7 years

1st – Daphne Balentyne

2nd – Lauren Maness

3rd – Everly Gonzalez

8-9 years

1st – Audrey Hardesty

2nd – Pepper Odom

3rd – Gloria Balentyne

10-11 years

1st – Allison Graham

2nd – Will Johnson

3rd – Adria Josh

12-17 years

1st – Fiona Holtz

2nd – Louise Smith

3rd – Kylie Hoffhines

Theme Category

5 and under

1st – Vivienne Lonzrick

2nd – Stephen Copple

3rd – Poppy Edberg

6-7 years

1st – Bailey Burdick

2nd – Carol Zelaya

3rd – Charlotte Maas

8-9 years

1st – Lily Herrmann

2nd – Addie Neuman

3rd – Lynnea Johnson

10-11 years

1st – Alena Chani

2nd – Rory Miller

3rd – Ainsley Jaszczak

12-17 years

1st – Elyee Marie Smith

2nd – Ayla Hardesty

3rd – Evaleigh Maness

Weird, Ugly & Scary

5 and under

1st – Frankie Laudicina

2nd – Genevieve Saunders

3rd – Callen Painter

6-7 years

1st – Henry Klein

2nd – Murphi Ross

3rd – James Conlon

8-9 years

1st – Harper Ludwig

2nd – Mary-Jane & Scarlett Watie

3rd – Quinn Wiepert

10-11 years

1st – Hunter Cogan

2nd – Charlotte Decker

3rd – Ainsley Jaszczak

12-17 years

1st – Josie & Presley Sharpness

2nd – Jaxson Line Wolf

3rd – Hudson Ludwig

TV, Nursery Rhyme, News, Current Events, Video Games

5 and under

1st – Emerson Madden

2nd – Aadya Reyhart

3rd – Adelyn Anderson

6-7 years

1st – Beckham VanBuren

2nd – Sloane Freeman

3rd – Arjun Morker

8-9 years

1st – Brooke Mayer

2nd – Nelson Reineck

3rd – Evan Conlon

10-11 years

1st – Rylin Pesck

2nd – Juliana Comacho

3rd – Colton Kummer

12-17 years

1st – Jordyn Ziegler

2nd – Charlotte Wilkins

3rd – Chase Ashley

Carved

7 and under

1st – Noah Oltman

2nd – Henry Toyota

3rd – Lennox Hagemann

8-9 years

1st – William McGrail

2nd – Artie Eustis

3rd – Jaxson Ruby

10-11 years

1st – Ryder Davis

2nd – Cade Bradley

3rd – Corbin Ness

12-17 years

1st – Jillian Jenkin

2nd – Taylor Wiepert

3rd – Michael Wagner

Scarecrow

11 and under

1st – Marshall Morong

2nd – Leanor Berek

3rd – John, David, Matthew DeAngelo

12-17 years

1st – Brooklyn Bickner

2nd – Vega Paetzold

3rd – Theo O’Brien

Youth Organization or Group

1st – Little Spartans Early Childhood

2nd – Montessori Children’s House

3rd – Sycamore FFA

Adult Organization or Group

1st – Foster, Buick Attorneys

2nd – Allison Berg

3rd – Spears Design Build Group

Family Entry

1st – Carpenter Family

2nd – Evans Family

3rd – Hoover Family

Adults (Carved, Scarecrow, General)

1st – Damon Olson

2nd – Rob Erwin

3rd – Nancy Gardner

Largest Pumpkin

1st – Trever Yaeger

2nd – Kayla Born

3rd – DeDina Family

School Participation

1st – St. Mary’s - Sycamore

2nd – North Grove

3rd – ABC Preschool

Kelsey Rettke

Kelsey Rettke

Kelsey Rettke is the editor of the Daily Chronicle and co-editor of the Kane County Chronicle, part of Shaw Local News Network.