NORTH SMITHFIELD – An annual festival that brings together hundreds of local families while raising funds for organizations in the community will return to town this weekend with food, entertainment, activities and more.
The 17th annual North Smithfield Great Pumpkin Festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the grounds behind North Smithfield High School and Middle School on Providence Pike.
It will be a different setup than visitors have seen in years past in 2024, with a consolidated fairway featuring more than 100 different businesses and organizations offering a variety of goods, services and free activities. The changes are due to recent upgrades to school athletic facilities that saw improvements to the fields, as well as installation of shot put and discus.
On Saturday, guests will find most of the Pumpkin Festival vendors in a long line stretching from the middle school to the hill leading up to the football field – capped off with the entertainment tent. The tent will host, “Colt & the Coyotes,” and, “Generations Barbershop Quartet,” with Martin Professionals providing sound technicians.
There will also be martial arts and dance demonstrations – by the Okinawan Temple and Krylo’s Dance Studio, respectively – throughout the day. BoBo the Clown will make free balloon creations for kids and adults alike. Entertainer Bubbles McGee will perform from noon to 4 p.m., and the Zoo Mobile from Southwick’s Zoo will have live animal presentations from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A major highlight each year is the showing of local businesses, school groups and non-profit organizations that host vendor booths at the festival. Visitors can browse through creative crafts, jewelry, food, and fun games and activities. Festival co-chairperson Elizabeth Featherston noted that this year’s lineup will include bounce houses, obstacle courses, inflatable basketball and football, and a smoke house brought in by North Smithfield firefighters.
“We have several new vendors this year,” said Featherston.
Much of the fun is offered free of charge following the affordable $2 festival admission fee.
“We have many, many of the vendors giving away prizes for different free activities,” said Featherston. “There’s quite a few free games.”
Another growing element of the Pumpkin Festival is the raffle table started last year. Many nonprofits and school organizations provide raffle baskets – and get to keep the funds made through their basket’s ticket sales – offering visitors a way to provide direct support. Featherston noted that items in this year’s raffle include a family four-pack of tickets to Stadium Theater for two shows this fall, a Texas Roadhouse basket, an outdoor fun basket, a beauty basket, a pickle ball basket, a hook and ladder toss, luggage and many gift cards.
There will be new food vendors as well, with the chance to grab a sandwich from the Beef Barn food truck, or try out dynamites, churos, loaded nachos, chili and sweets, along with the usual hot dogs, hamburgers and treats from Micky G’s Clam Shack.
Asked why she believes the festival has become so popular over the years, Featherston said the answer is threefold: It’s inexpensive, it’s local and visitors get to see many people they know.
“Everybody goes and has a good time when they’re there,” she said.
But committee members note that PumpkinFest is more than just a day of fun, food and prizes; it is a way to uplift a child or young adult in town during the rest of the year, as all profits from the event go back into the community.
“It’s the best part of the PumpkinFest,” says Brian Gartland, co-chair of the committee. “These proceeds don’t go to the next year’s events; they go to making this community better and supporting the town’s youth.”
This year the Woonsocket Rotary Club will be holding a clothing drive, collecting gently used clothing during the PumpkinFest in the parking lot of the school administration building 450 Greenville Road.
“We need your help,” said Rotarian Pam Jalette. “Our giving center, ‘Just For You,’ operated by the Woonsocket Rotary is need of children’s clothing in all sizes. As you go through your children’s clothing preparing for the change in season, if they have outgrown their clothing from last year, please consider donating, to be distributed to the children in our community.”
The PumpkinFest also provides scholarships for North Smithfield graduating seniors, and grants to Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, senior projects, NSHS graduation events, NS Heritage Association projects, the North Smithfield Fire Department smoke house and Cookies with Santa, to name a few. The PumpkinFest Committee has also made donations to community services including the North Smithfield Food Pantry, the NS Senior Center, the NS Special Education Local Advisory Committee and NS Adopt A Family.
“That’s what Pumpkinfest is about, is giving money back to the organizations,” said Featherston. “We want all of the funds to go back into the community.”
The volunteer committee has been working since May to organize the annual event with sponsors, vendors and more, and noted in a release that local businesses have been exceptionally generous this year, exceeding the total donations from 2023 through contributions, and by providing their goods and services free of charge. A complete list of corporate sponsors can be found here.
For those who would like to help the committee continue in their efforts to help others, donations will also be accepted with the $2 admission fee at the gate. Parking will be offered at the middle school and high school, including the lot above the tennis courts.
The rain date for the festival is Sunday, Sept. 22. More information, as well as a full list of vendor booths can be found on the North Smithfield Great Pumpkin Festival website.
