History on the mind of Pumpkin Fest theme winner

SYCAMORE – Harrison Rowland, 8, said he’s excited to display his pumpkin on the DeKalb County Courthouse lawn for the 62nd annual Sycamore Pumpkin Festival, especially since his theme “Pumpkins in History” is the winning one.

Rowland gathered with his family – mom Sarah Rowland, dad David Rowland, and little brothers Emmitt, 7, and Lincoln, 5, – in downtown Sycamore in front of the famous Wally Thurow statue recently to talk about his plan for Pumpkin Fest.

“I was thinking about going with Abraham Lincoln,” Harrison Rowland said.

His theme was chosen out of 73 entries from seven Sycamore-area elementary schools. The essay contest is sponsored by the Sycamore Kiwanis Club.

He’s been learning a lot about history in second grade in Cristina Zakosek’s second grade class at West Elementary School. Harrison was a student at Southeast Elementary until the recent Sycamore School District 427 elementary school redistricting that took effect this fall.

“I was thinking a lot about history, and which one should I do,” Harrison recalled when asked how he came up with this year’s theme. He said he’d been reading a lot about George Washington and Abe Lincoln, both former U.S. presidents.

Along with his winning theme, he’ll get another few fun rewards: A chance to help cut the giant Hy-Vee Pumpkin Fest cake on Wednesday, Oct. 25, to kick off the festival, and a chance to ride in the Pumpkin Festival parade on Sunday, Oct. 29.

Theme contest runners-up Allison Vavra and Finley McDonald will join him.

“Dave and I are very proud of Harrison,” said Sarah Rowland, who won the contest herself in 1997 with the theme “Pumpkin Fiesta.”

“We cannot wait to see his theme come to life during Pumpkin Fest,” she said.