NORTH SMITHFIELD – For the past decade, Elizabeth Featherston has spearheaded efforts to put on the town’s biggest family festival of the year, and Brian Gartland has joined her for the past eight, with the pair putting in countless hours to build on a tradition first started in North Smithfield in 2007.
When the Great Pumpkin Festival kicks off once again on Saturday, Sept. 20 on the grounds of North Smithfield High School, it will be their final time at the helm – and perhaps fittingly – the event’s largest iteration to date.
“We are not going to step off the committee,” explained Featherston. “The biggest thing is, you need new blood.”
The festival committee will be seeking someone new to take the reigns next year, expected to lead in months of planning and preparation for a one day event that raises funds for local non-profits, scholarships and more.
But first, the duo has plenty of work ahead to pull off 2025’s event, co-ordinating everything from setup and security, to raffles and entertainment. Featherston has registered more than 130 participants, on track to bring games, unique foods, handcrafted items, activities and more to the festival grounds. Another 30 or so potential vendors, she says, are still in the works.
“I’m just really excited about all of the things that are going to be going on this year,” Featherston said. “There’s just so much.”
In its 18th year, the festival will of course, feature all of the old standbys: North Smithfield Fire & Rescue Service with their interactive smoke house and fire prevention information; Slatersville Congregational Church selling pizza and dumplings; and local martial arts groups and dance troupes offering demonstrations. Bounce houses and an obstacle course will go up once again, along with mini-golf and a life-sized Candyland game. There will be face painting and henna body art, plus trinkets and baubles for purchase galore, with plenty of handmade crafts, jewelry and home decor.
Added to the fun in 2025 are new things to see and try, with a magician performing all day at this year’s festival, a digital photo booth for pictures and interactive entertainment that features hula hoop dancing. “Make your own”-type booths will offer a wide variety of items including DIY cupcakes, perfume, candles, t-shirts and painted Halloween ornaments. Sand art will return, and the North Smithfield High School Robotics Team will offer an interactive feature, where visitors can play soccer and experience driving a robot. Two booths will offer Tarot card readings, and guests can try to break a board with Mastery Martial Arts, or test their luck on a prize wheel.
Items available for purchase will include costume accessories and masks for Halloween, premade flower arrangements and mystery bags filled with surprises. Guests could walk away with a pair of up-cycled cashmere gloves, a canvas featuring spray paint art of a cosmic scene, a handsewn dog bandana or a steampunk sculpture.
“We have the most vendors we’ve ever had,” said Featherston. “We are expecting a very nice, big crowd.”
The food selection has also expanded in 2025, with charcuterie boards, crepes, sourdough bread, homemade cinnabons, stuffed cookies, and pumpkin spice rolls and scones added to the mix. And of course, there’s always the kettlecorn, nachos, gourmet lemonade, candy apples, fried dough, chowder and clam cakes.
“We have lots and lots of food,” Featherston said.
For entertainment, members of the North Smithfield High School Chorus will kick things off at 11 a.m. singing the National Anthem, and DJ Kevin Martin will spin tunes from 1 to 5 p.m. The Dynamite Rhythm band will offer rock & roll classics from 1 to 3 p.m., and Alexa Picillo music will entertain visitors from 3:30 p.m. until the event’s end at 5 p.m.
As a bonus, guests can head up to the football field just after 5 p.m. to catch the Blackstone Millville Regional High School Marching Band.
The co-chair said she is also excited about this year’s raffles, which include gift packs to The Stadium Theatre for upcoming shows, as well as tickets to see the Providence Bruins and a meat basket from Lindy’s Tavern valued at $300. Visitors could win a razor scooter or six weeks at Camp Phoenix for summer 2026. Raffle tickets cost $1 each, can be purchased in advance via Venmo to @elizabethfeatherson-10 with prize selections in the memo. A full list of prizes can be found here.
For Featherston, it’s a gigantic effort that has run more smoothly in recent years thanks to an automated online system and volunteers who’ve stepped up to run various elements. The festival has a bigger better online presence thanks to a new media person, and different committee members took ownership of efforts to secure entertainment, and to set up raffles.
“A lot of the committee is getting more involved, which I really like,” she said. “We’re slowly moving to a much wider spreading out of duties.”
The all-volunteer effort helps to support local non-profits and comes together with the help of sponsors. Featherston said the committee already has $10,000 to give away this year for scholarships and grants.
“We had such a wonderful outpouring of camaraderie from the town,” she said. “It’s been a really nice year, I think, for Brian and I to finish out our chairing. We’re going to have a great, busy day.”
With the countdown to the big event now on, Featherston said she’s just praying for sunshine. The event takes place rain or shine, and weather was uncooperative for the past two years.
The 18th annual Great Pumpkin Festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 20 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m on the grounds of North Smithfield High School and Middle School, with parking available at both schools. The entrance fee is $2 at the gate, and many activities are free.
As this event is on school grounds so there is a policy of Service Dogs only.
Is this event dog friendly?