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Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival

September 28, 2024 @ 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

More than 200 vendors fill downtown Elkin with arts, crafts, food and activities for the 27th annual Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival, Sept. 28.

The main event is the Great Pumpkin Weigh Off where pumpkins of all shapes, colors and sizes hit the scales to determine which one weighs the most. The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth sanctions the competition. Growers travel from up and down the East Coast to show off their prize pumpkins. The grower of the largest pumpkin receives $1,000 for first place. Prizes are awarded for each pumpkin in the Top 10.

Last year’s winning pumpkin weighed 1,305 pounds. The pumpkins are so large that they require a forklift to move them. The weigh off begins at 9 a.m., with winners announced at 1 p.m.

In addition to admiring portly pumpkins, attendees are encouraged to spend the day downtown, shopping, eating, listening to music and enjoying a fall Saturday in this foothills town. This year, the number of vendors has nearly doubled, filling both sides of Main Street as well as the beer garden at The RailYard.

“I hope visitors see how much pride our town has in itself and how much talent is in this community,” says Quinn Wilkins of the Yadkin Valley Chamber of Commerce, which puts on the festival. “Most vendors are local, and if they’re not in Elkin, they live within two to three hours.”

To start the day, performers take the stage on the western end of Main Street near the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. Reenactors tell the history of the trail and how it traces the 330-mile route Patriot militia used during the Kings Mountain campaign in the Revolutionary War. Live music and other entertainment, such as jugglers and a blacksmith demonstration, take place throughout the day. Favorite annual attractions include the Foothill Quilters annual quilt show at Galloway Memorial Episcopal Church and the used book sale at Elkin Public Library.

“No matter your age — from a baby in a stroller to a 99-year-old — there is something of interest for you at the Pumpkin Festival,” Wilkins says.

Hours for the Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free.

For more info, call (336) 526-1111 or visit www.YadkinValley.org.

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Details

Date:
September 28, 2024
Time:
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Event Categories:
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Website:
 www.YadkinValley.org

Venue

Historic Downtown Elkin
Elkin, NC 28621 United States + Google Map
Phone
336-526-111
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