All things autumn take over downtown Sycamore for 62nd annual Pumpkin Festival

It’s the biggest weekend of the year in Sycamore, as thousands of creatively decorated pumpkins by local children, schools and community organizations are showcased on the DeKalb County courthouse lawn for the 62nd annual Pumpkin Fest, Oct. 25-29.

The family-friendly festival takes place the weekend before Halloween every year in the city’s charming downtown.

While the decorated pumpkins, which are judged in several categories for prizes, are the centerpiece of the weekend, the festival features much more.

The five-day event is filled with activities for the entire family, including a teen carnival, a kiddie carnival, historic home tours, a 10K race, craft shows and a variety of vendors and nonprofit organizations. The festival wraps up on Sunday with a parade, featuring high school bands and groups from across the region.

Brad Hoey, special projects manager for DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Pumpkin Fest is the largest festival in the county, and one of the largest in the state. Illinois is synonymous with pumpkins, as it is the largest pumpkin-producing state in the country, he said.

“Pumpkin Fest has been going on for 62 years, so multiple generations of families have grown up with it. It’s almost like a homecoming for people who grew up here,” he said. “It’s an experience, and people are looking for experiences. This is the quintessential fall experience, just seeing the decorated pumpkins, all the food and things to do, and there aren’t many parades in the state as good as the Pumpkin Fest parade. It’s the last big outdoor ‘hurrah’ before winter sets in.”

Rose Treml, executive director of the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce, said the parade is “absolutely beautiful.”

“This is an event that provides all-around fun for the family,” she said. “There’s entertainment, two carnivals, over 1,000 pumpkins on the courthouse lawn. It’s your picture-perfect fall festival. Sycamore is lucky, we have a wonderful community that cares about these events.”

The festival got its start in 1956 when Sycamore resident Wally Thurow began displaying pumpkins decorated by local children in his front yard every Halloween. The event grew into the most-anticipated weekend of the year for folks in Sycamore, officially becoming an annual community celebration in 1962.

For more information and a full schedule of weekend events, visit sycamorepumpkinfestival.com.