Circleville Pumpkin Show

Photos by OHventures

 

 

Circleville Pumpkin Show

152 East Main Street

Circleville, OH 43113

(740) 474-7000

 

Pumpkins are taking over the nation: from the recent shortage of Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes to pumpkin flavored Pringles, the nation is going gaga over gourds! If you're looking for the greatest collection of pumpkin flavored fair food and some of the largest pumpkins in the nation, odds are you'll find it at the Circleville Pumpkin Show. Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin has nothing on the large array of pumpkins to be found at the Circleville Pumpkin Show.

 

 

For 106 years, the Circleville Pumpkin Show, located in Pickaway County, is where families have gone to make memories! It is one of the most highly anticipated festivals in the state and the biggest festival in the United States dedicated soley to pumpkins! I first became aware of this gourd-tastic event when my college roommate and his family  performed in a band each year on the main stage, ranting and raving for the weeks leading up to the fair.

 

In addition to live entertainment, there is much fun to be had at the annual show, which takes place over a four day period each October (this year, the fair ran from October 17-20). The Great Pumpkin Weigh-In draws a great deal of excitement, as it finds out who has grown the largest pumpkin in the state that year (these puppies are HUGE, weighing close to 1,500 pounds!). Below, I am pictured sitting next to this year's award winning pumpkins! If that isn't enough squash for you, everything imaginable is made out of pumpkin: pies (over 20,000 to be exact), cookies, dips, salsas, - you name it!

 

 

 

Being the adventurous type that I am, I decided to go for the craziest pumpkin treats I could find! I gorged on the gourds in some very peculiar forms: pumpkin sloppy joes, pumpkin pizza (pictured below), and deep fried pumpkin pie. I washed it down with a pumpkin coffee and a pumpkin soda (also pictured below). Trying all of these pumpkin infused concoctions was definitely the highlight of the visit for me. I even took home some pumpkin butter, pumpkin brittle, and pumpkin cookies! If I keep all of this up, I may end up turning as orange as an Oompa Loompa! Or, worse yet, Snooki!

 

 

Each year, Lindsey's Bakery (located at 127 West Main Street, Circleville) bakes the world's largest pumpkin pie (pictured below). It took 96 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 44 pounds of sugar, 16 gallons of milk, 15 dozen eggs, 4 pounds of corn starch, 24 ounces of pumpkin spice, 24 ounces of salt, and 36 pounds of pie due baked for six hours to complete this prominent pie!

 

 

Other than eating, attendees have a lot more to explore up and down the 12 streets blocked off in downtown Circleville. The Miss (and Little Miss) Pumpkin Show Queen is crowned in a yearly pageant, a tradition that dates as far back as 1933. There are also rides (such as the giant ferris wheel), crafts, and shops full of knick knacks galore for sale. One other staple of the show is that there are seven - yes, SEVEN - parades over the course of the four days!

If you can bear the traffic jams leading into Circleville, and the mayhem involved with finding a parking spot, then you should most definitely make it to the Circleville Pumpkin Show to see what all the hype is all about firsthand!

 



5 Fun Fall OHventures

Looking for some fall fun for the whole family? OHventures has you covered! Here are 5 fantastic fall adventures across the Buckeye State for you to enjoy before the snow starts up!

1. Circleville Pumpkin Show: The Circleville Pumpkin Show is where families go to make memories and is one of the most highly anticipated festivals in the state. I first became aware of this gourd-tastic event when my college roommate and his family would perform in a band each year, ranting and raving for the weeks leading up to the event. In addition to live entertainment, there is much fun to be had at the annual show, which has taken place for the past 40 years for an entire weekend in October (this year, the fair runs from October 17-20). The Great Pumpkin Weigh-In draws a great deal of excitement, as it finds out who has grown the largest pumpkin in the state that year (these puppies are HUGE, weighing close to 1,500 pounds!). If that isn't enough squash for you, everything imaginable is made out of pumpkin: pies (over 20,000 to be exact), cookies, dips, salsas, burgers, sloppy joes - you name it! Crafts, games, parades, pageants, and more are crammed into the weekend as well!

2. Mansfield Reformatory Haunted Prison Experience: Nothing is spookier in Ohio than the Mansfield Reformatory. I don't mean the "fake spider web and bedsheet ghosts" kind of spooky. I am talking about the "decaying walls, rusted jail cells, and eerily quiet hallways echoing with stories of tortured prisoners" kind of spooky. This now defunct prison is one of the most majestic buildings in all of Ohio, resembling a Transylvanian castle soaring high into the sky. In the fall (RIGHT NOW) the prison is transformed into a haunted house! It is hands down THE SCARIEST haunted house experience I have ever had. I am not afraid to admit, that at age 25, I was jumping and shrieking left and right! The cost is $17 and the lines are incredibly long....but you can guess, it is worth the wait!

3. Camping: I have done a lot of camping at various locations throughout the state, all of which were unique and memorable in their own way. Some places I would suggest for any aspiring camper in Ohio are: The Atwood Lake Campground in Tuscawaras County (where they hold the annual "Fall Festival" each October), Pymatuning State Park in Ashtabula County (and partially in Pennsylvania), and of course Hocking Hills State Park in Hocking County (the most famous for hiking, ziplining, and pretty much every other OHventure in the state). However, the fun certainly does not stop at those 3 suggestions. There are HUNDREDS of campsites all over the state, which you can find at Ohio Camper. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone!

4. Apple Picking: A sea of apples and a maze of corn lie just minutes away, in every nook and cranny of Ohio, providing a perfect escape for anyone wishing to relive their childhood. For those in Central Ohio, Lynd Fruit Farm, located on the corner of state Route 310 and Morse Road in Pataskala, provides a bounty of fall activities for the young at heart throughout September, October and November. When you're there, it's like walking through a postcard. It's so serene and peaceful here. Coming here makes me almost forget about school and work and bills and all the responsibilities of life. It's also a cheap, or sometimes free, activity. To find the nearest apple orchard for public picking, visit Ohio Apples!

5. Tailgating: Whether you are a Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, or Ohio State Buckeyes fan (or even another college, high school, or peewee team), you are bound to be found hooting and hollering on a weekly basis (sometimes more), rooting for your favorite team to win. This is probably the most common and easiest of OHventures to be had, as it's probably not too difficult to round up some friends to drink some beer, eat a potluck of chili and hot dogs, and throw on some jerseys while gathered around a big screen TV! No matter what way you do it, the pigskin sport brings people together, in sports bars, parking lots, and man caves across the state! Ohio is truly a football-loving sport, so on the off days, you can try visiting the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton to get your fix and learn some interesting history!