CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — The Circleville Police Department is warning residents that someone has been selling counterfeit Pumpkin Show passes online, cautioning that the passes are never sold and are only available for free through the department.
Officers said in a social media post that they were notified an online source had sold fake passes ahead of this year’s festival, which runs through Saturday and is expected to draw a crowd that organizers put at the hundreds of thousands to downtown Circleville. The department said the passes are not available for purchase through any website, social media platform or third-party vendor.
The passes referenced in the warning are tied to the festival’s off-street parking permits, which the department issues at no cost each year to residents whose property lies within the show’s boundaries. Applicants normally pick the permits up in person at the police department’s lobby at 151 E. Franklin St.
Police asked anyone who purchased a pass online, or who comes across a website claiming to sell one, to use caution and contact the department. Officers also asked the public to help spread the word by sharing the department’s warning so others do not fall victim to the scam.
The Pumpkin Show, billed by organizers as “The Greatest Free Show On Earth,” has drawn crowds to downtown Circleville since 1903. Admission to the festival itself is free; the only costs associated with attending typically involve food, rides and off-site parking.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Circleville Police Department.
