The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

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October 5, 2008

Pumpkin festival ends on high note

Matthew Hill

The Pumpkin Harvest Festival’s three days of fun, fellowship and fundraising came to a close Sunday afternoon for its third straight year at the Beckley campus of Burlington United Methodist Family Services Inc.

As campus director Mark Allen sees it, the fact that the event was held the first weekend of October this year — rather than its customary last weekend of September — turned out to be a blessing in disguise. September’s final weekend, filled with chilly temperatures and dreary skies, gave way last weekend to the cloudless skies and waning warmth of “Indian summer.”

“We’re honored by the crowd and the turnout,” said Allen.

“We want people to come out and not only support us but have fun. It’s about fun and fellowship. The hay rides have been one of our biggest attractions. They’re having a good time.”

According to Allen, the crowds and the funds from the event have increased each year. The festival was inspired by the annual Apple Harvest Festival held for 35 years now at the main Burlington campus in Mineral County. “We wanted to have our own festival for the Beckley area,” Allen explained.

The festival this year featured, among other things, a quilt show, a largest-pumpkin contest, a parade, a pageant, a horseshoe-pitching contest, a pumpkin-pie contest, a pumpkin-decorating contest, a car show and a pumpkin seed-spitting contest.

Bluegrass, country and gospel music were also on tap. Next year’s festival is scheduled for Sept. 25-27, Allen noted.

Beckley’s campus — along with Burlington and Keyser — are the only three residential campuses that Burlington operates in West Virginia. The campus in Beckley serves 30 of the 64 total residents who live at the three locations. Adoption offices in Charleston and Grafton are also part of the Burlington network.

Burlington offers residential, adoption, and foster-care services. For more information on the organization, visit its Web site at www. bumfs.org. To learn more about the Beckley campus, call 304-252-8508 or e-mail mallen@bumfs.org.

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