Hometown pride was apparent as the Grand Pumpkin Parade traveled through St. Anne on Saturday during the annual Pumpkin Festival.

On the theme of “Decades and Eras of St Anne’s 175 years,” parade floats from numerous area churches, St. Anne school district clubs and teams, local businesses and community organizations participated in the celebration.

The festival featured pumpkin painting and T-shirt tie-dying at the Community Park, as well as a cruise night trunk-or-treat, a touch-a-truck event, live music and a kids’ lighted parade on Friday.

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2025 St. Anne Pumpkin Festival Oaklee Burton, 3, pets a miniature horse named Rose alongside her sister, Kinsley, 9, left, and mother, Jessica, all of Bourbonnais, at the kids zone petting zoo during the St. Anne Pumpkin Festival on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (Tiffany Blanchette/Tiffany Blanchette)

Following Saturday morning’s parade, a craft and flea market popped up alongside food vendors, a sprawling kids zone and live entertainment continued into the evening.

Helping to celebrate the rural village’s milestone anniversary at the grand parade was 99-year-old Ruth Sparenberg, a St. Anne resident for more than 80 years.

Sparenberg, who said she has missed maybe one festival, attended with her family, including children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, several of whom participated in the parade. Her great-grandson, Jesse Childress, 12, of St. Anne, performed ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ on his guitar for the festival’s entertainment kick-off on Saturday.

With her 100th birthday to be celebrated next summer on July 31, Sparenberg said she plans to enjoy the parade in her milestone year next year.