CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — The Circleville Police Department is urging visitors to this year’s Pumpkin Show to plan ahead for parking, keep track of children and secure their vehicles as the festival draws what organizers expect to be hundreds of thousands of people to the city’s downtown.
The department said officers each year respond to a recurring set of problems during the four-day festival: children separated from their families, visitors who cannot find where they parked, and complaints about blocked driveways, alleys and fire hydrants.
To avoid those issues, police are asking attendees to designate a specific meeting place in case they become separated from their group, and to photograph or write down where they parked so they can find their vehicle later. The department also recommends memorizing important phone numbers in case a cellphone battery dies, since large crowds can make it difficult to locate a working outlet or charging station downtown.
Police also asked drivers to park legally and avoid blocking alleys, driveways, streets or fire hydrants, both to keep emergency routes clear and to avoid towing. Officers encouraged attendees to lock their vehicles and keep valuables out of plain sight, and to check local news and weather updates before heading downtown.
The Pumpkin Show, billed as “The Greatest Free Show On Earth,” has been held in downtown Circleville since 1903, when it began as a small pumpkin-and-corn display organized by then-Mayor George Haswell to give area farmers a reason to come into town and discuss their crops. The event grew to include rides and parades within a few years, and a nonprofit corporation has run the festival since 1946. It now draws crowds that organizers and outside rankings have put among the largest free festivals in the country.
This year’s festival runs through Saturday, Oct. 24, with activities in the streets surrounding the Pickaway County Courthouse square in downtown Circleville.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Circleville Police Department.
