RUMFORD — After a successful first year, Envision Rumford will bring back the Rumford Pumpkin Fest at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, complete with new activities and a return visit from the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane.

Envision Rumford member Jim Rinaldo said that in planning for the second annual Pumpkin Fest, he and the rest of the Envision Rumford members looked at what worked well the first time and build off it.

“We tried to get more games for the kids this year,” Rinaldo said Wednesday morning. “Last year, we had a seed-spitting contest, which brought in people from ages 5 to 105. This year, we split the contest into two: one for younger kids and another for adults. We also are trying to include events that will allow men, women and children to participate.”

One of the new events will be a “strong man competition,” in which both men and women will have a chance to test their strength, Rinaldo said.

“We made sure to split the men and women into two different categories, so they’re not facing off against each other,” Rinaldo said. “Gary Dolloff will be running that event.”

The Rumford Pumpkin Fest will kick off at 8 a.m., with a pumpkin breakfast at the American Legion until 9:30 a.m.

At 9 a.m., Bartash’s will host a ski swap, while the Hope Association will host its annual craft and book fair.

Events beginning at 10 a.m. include a costume parade, which will begin at 9:45 a.m. at the American Legion, and geocaching at the Ink Plaza.

Events from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. include an Army climbing wall and a Med-Care ambulance on display.

From 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be a pumpkin hunt, story time for kids in the park, henna tattoos and caricatures drawn at Ink Maine. There will also be children’s activities at the Rumford Fire Department.

Other events beginning at 10:30 a.m. include a gymnastics demonstration at the Greater Rumford Community Center, the second Oxford County Walk to End Domestic Violence, a $5 cookie walk and the kids’ seed-spitting contest.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a gymnastics jamboree obstacle course, live music, an apple cider demo table and free kids’ pictures with “The Great Pumpkin.”

Starting at 11:30 a.m., there will be free wagon rides until 2:30 p.m.

At noon, one of last year’s more popular events, the scavenger hunt, and one of this year’s most anticipated events, the Strong Man competition, will begin.

At 2 p.m., a hospital bed race will take place, followed by the adult seed-spitting contest at 4 p.m.

Rinaldo said last year’s most popular event, the Headless Horseman chasing Ichabod Crane down the street, will return.

“Keep an eye open on Congress Street sometime between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.,” Rinaldo said.

Town Manager Carlo Puiia, who played the role of Ichabod Crane last year, said he declined to return as Crane this year after he injured himself running down Congress Street at last year’s Pumpkin Fest.

“I think they’re going to look for somebody a little thinner,” Puiia said with a laugh. “I’ll still be making the rounds at Pumpkin Fest, though.”

The Rumford Pumpkin Fest managed to bring in “around 500 people” in its first year, said Rinaldo. He expects the number to rise this year.

“The Pumpkin Fest is sort of a lead-in to the holidays,” Rinaldo said. “Shortly after this event, we get Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I think people are just excited to know that the holiday season is kicking off.

“Without the people visiting and participating, none of this would be worth it,” he said. “It’s the people who make everything happen.”

mdaigle@sunjournal.com

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