Hub Staff

In hopes of rectifying the disconnect between the Cinderella Classic Car Show in downtown Port Elgin and Pumpkinfest Village at Saugeen District Secondary School (SDSS), Pumpkinfest board members Pier Donnini and Brad Scott went before council on March 14 to ask for the town’s approval on moving Pumpkinfest Village to the downtown core.

Chamber President and Pumpkinfest Board member, Pier Donnini said that every enterprise needs refreshing and stated that Pumpkinfest is no different.

“We talked to lots of people in the community, and there had been a disconnect between the community and the festival. It was like a marriage, we were growing apart, and we want to get a little bit closer to the community, and bringing the festival back downtown is a big step,” said Donnini, who later added that the board thinks it will be the defining change to the festival, now in it’s 30th year.

During their delegation, council had no objections, although long-time Pumpkinfest Volunteer, Deputy Mayor Luke Charbonneau said the idea was a cool concept but addressed the responsibility of the Pumpkinfest Board to include the Port Elgin Business Improvement Area (BIA) in their plans.

“You mentioned the disconnect between the community and the event which may be an accurate depiction, there’s always been a bit of tension between the business community and the festival,” said the Deputy Mayor.

“There’s so much potential for business in that festival, but it’s a question of working together and figuring out how to leverage the opportunities that are there for business owners and how to put cash in their tills. Because it’s (Pumpkinfest’s) core purpose for ‘being’, was to be shoulder season event to bring people into town in October, to put money in the pockets of business owners,” Charbonneau said.

BIA President Jeff Carver was in attendance and said that the BIA would like to see a proposal from the Pumpkinfest Board.

“Until the (BIA) board has had a chance to review a proposal I'm not at liberty to speak on it, but I do think that anything that brings people downtown is a good thing,” said Carver.

Long-time Pumpkinfest Chair, Brad Scott could not speak about what to expect just yet at the new locations, but did say in the deposition to council that they would save over $20,000 by moving the Weight-off Tent to the Missionary Church.

“It’s a big undertaking. It’s exciting, we’re all very excited about the positivity, but we’re a little scared at the same time. It’s a big move for us,” Scott said.

“Just over the years people might be feeling like there’s nothing new, that they've seen it all,” said Scott, adding that this will bring a needed change, and that admission to the event will also be changing to a possible “play all weekend” wristband for a lower price, $5 has been suggested, that could include the popular “Pub-Kin Crawl”.

The Pumpkinfest Board will make its final decision regarding the move April 1. The 30th Pumpkinfest will be taking place October 1 and 2 of this year.