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Valley families come out to see pumpkins on crisp fall night
By ROBERT CONNELLY
YOUNGSTOWN
Pumpkins lined the walk- ways while families, young and old, took in the fall weather and activities Sunday evening.
Lynn Zocolo, horticulture educator with Mill Creek MetroParks, said the Pumpkin Walk at Twilight was expected to break its attendance record, topping the estimated 6,700 from a year ago.
“People are looking for those family things to do,” she said. “They’re looking for those things that don’t cost very much or that they can come out and just spend some time with their families.”
The 10th annual pumpkin walk, a free event hosted at Fellows Riverside Gardens, 123 McKinley Ave., included pumpkins and gourds for sale.
The weather was clear and featured crisp fall air. Zocolo said the weather determines attendance figures, whether it’s an early snow or clear like Sunday.
Nikki Cvetkovic was in the rose garden with her three grandchildren during the event. “They love the pumpkins, and we come to the flower gardens all year round,” she said of her grandchildren, age 3 to 5.
Shirley Maffei came from Minerva with her entire family, from kids to grandkids to in-laws. She also plans to attend the event again after coming for the first time Sunday.
“It’s beautiful. It’s really crisp fall weather, the leaves are just perfect and the river is right there,” Maffei said.
John Burton, 9, of Boardman said he liked a cat pumpkin, which had whiskers and a tail, and a skull, with flames coming out of it, the most. “Seeing the pumpkins and getting ideas about carving them” are why he comes, John explained.
Attendees walked amid the lines of pumpkins throughout the event at Fellows. Kids were able to dance at the Kidston Pavilion while Hey Kid! played popular hits. Inside the Davis Center, anyone was welcome to speak with area groups, such as the Garden District and Friends of Fellows Riverside Gardens. Hugh Earnhart, who authored “The Forgotten Pumpkin,” conducted a book-signing.
“We really value our partnerships with these different organizations throughout the Mahoning Valley,” Zocolo said. “We are supported by Mahoning County tax dollars, and having an event like this — a free, fun, family event — is our way of saying thank you to the residents of Mahoning County for all their support.”
Cvetkovic said, “The things [Mill Creek] does are just better than any other community I’ve seen do with parks.”
Some kids dressed up while other people just wore orange. Zocolo said the event was more to get people around plants than Halloween.
“Our whole thing is to connect people with plants, and having this pumpkin walk and getting people out into the gardens is a great way to do that,” she said.
As the sun set, the lights continued to flicker within the more than 500 pumpkins carved from the 16,000 pounds of pumpkins that were ordered.