A grand affair: Weather helps draw great crowds for Pumpkin Fest parade

SYCAMORE – Skies of blue surrounded Sycamore on Sunday as its residents and plenty of visitors celebrated the 58th Sycamore Pumpkin Festival.

The warm temperatures – it reached 58 degrees Sunday – helped vendors make up for the wet and cold weather on Saturday, said Tony Sgarlata, 1st vice president of the Sycamore Lions Club.

"Today's been tremendous," he said. "We're almost going to make up for the bad weather yesterday."

"The people of Sycamore and DeKalb County are out in full force," Sgarlata said.

Jerome Perez, director of the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival committee, noted that Sycamore Police Chief Jim Winters said it was the largest parade crowd that Winters had seen.

Cassie Ottman, who runs Cassie's Popcorn Stand on the corner of East State and North Maple streets, said the weather was better than in 2018.

"It was cold and wet last year," she said. "It was slow last year."

Ottman said she's a Halloween person and that's one of the reasons she enjoys Pumpkin Fest. She also likes to watch the people as they walk by and enjoy the festival.

Noah Westhoff, a student at Cornerstone Christian Academy, who managed one of the food tents near the DeKalb County Courthouse, said he was very busy with customers.

"We're running out of stuff," he said. "Before the parade we had a long line. That was our morning rush. The weather makes all the difference."

The Sycamore Pumpkin Festival attracts an average of 100,000 visitors each year from near and far, and at least one family – the Wrights from St. Charles – has already made plans to attend in 2020.

“I just told my husband we’re gonna have to put it on the calendar, because this is great,” said Ashley Wright, who, along with her husband Justin, sons Jack, 7, and Ben 3, and daughter Emry, 7, had never been to the festival.

After Sunday’s festivities, they’re sold on how fun it is.

“We’re going to make it a tradition for sure,” Wright said. “The pumpkin displays were really neat and the parade is awesome.”

She said her favorite part of the parade was a dance troupe.

“I loved the ‘Thriller’ dance,” Wright said. “The team did a really great job. Their costumes were great.”

While the Wrights are new to the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival, its charm keeps others attending.

Pete Trott, who lives on Somonauk Street, said he’s lived at his home since 1972 and remembers how small the parade was then.

“It started at the Federated Church and it went to Main Street,” Trott said while he lay down blue tarps so that he and his family could enjoy watching the parade along the curb in front of his house.

Trott said the parade then was about 50 feet long and consisted of a bunch of children wearing costumes. He said he used to bring his children there.

He said that now his grandchildren and great-grandchildren get to see the parade for what it is – a grand affair.

The parade offered a celebratory tour for the grand marshal, one of Sycamore’s own: the Sycamore High School softball team, which won the 3A Illinois State Championship in June. The team’s coach, Jill Carpenter, said it was a pretty amazing experience to lead the parade.

“It was cool having the girls all back together,” Carpenter said. “We have eight seniors who graduated this past year.”

She said all eight seniors and four of the five juniors from the 2018 team came back to town to attend the parade.

“It’s cool to have almost your entire team back together, which normally doesn’t happen after your season is over,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter said having the town cheer for them and wishing them congratulations was amazing.

“We know how special Pumpkin Fest is for this community, so to be the grand marshal for the parade was such an honor,” Carpenter said.

Other families made the parade their Sunday Funday.

Kurt Vavra and his wife Tina, who live near the intersection of Somonauk and Borden streets, where the parade starts, host a party on the day of the parade.

He said some of his partygoers come from Arizona, Texas, Michigan and Indiana. The food he offers, which includes 40 pounds of pulled pork, might keep them coming back.

Vavra said there would be somewhere between 60 and 120 guests in and out of his house.

"We use it as a reunion for our family and friends," Vavra said.