Thousands of people are expected to pack the tiny mid-Missouri town of Hartsburg for this weekend’s popular Pumpkin Festival.
Children enjoy the Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival (2018 file photo courtesy of Festival website)
This is the 28th annual Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival. Festival treasurer and parade coordinator Jeri Cooper tells Missourinet they’re expecting about 40,000 people to attend the event, which takes place Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday morning’s parade begins at 9.
Hartsburg is in Boone County, between Columbia and Jefferson City. Its population is about 100.
The Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival started in 1991 as a celebration of the pumpkin and the promotion for Hartsburg, which is known as “The Garden Spot of Boone County” for its rich Missouri bottom soil. Some of the most productive farmland in the state can be found there.
Hartsburg produces fruits and vegetables as well.
The event, including parking, is free. With thousands of vehicles coming into the small town, most people will park in area fields, and others park along the roadside. The festival will be operating trams and shuttles.
Organizers also encourage you to bring cash to the festival, since some vendors don’t access debit or credit cards.
Traffic will be heavy along Highway 63. Mizzou’s 108th Homecoming is also taking place Saturday in Columbia, with thousands of people heading there.
You can find more information about the pumpkin festival here.
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