North Grove student excited for ‘Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Festival’ in Sycamore

SYCAMORE – Last year, Harper Freiberg and her family were unable to celebrate Halloween or the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival because they had COVID-19.

This year, the family is looking forward to the festival even more, not only because Pumpkin Fest will be held in person, but also because 9-year-old Harper Freiberg thought of this year’s theme, “Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Festival.”

Freiberg’s theme was chosen from 108 total entries submitted by students from seven Sycamore schools and homeschooled students.

In her entry submission, Harper, a fourth-grader at North Grove Elementary School, said the reason she chose “Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Festival” was “because we make our pumpkins something from Sycamore history.”

The two honorable mention award-winners were announced as Elyce Marie Smith, a homeschooled second-grader, with her entry “Pumpkin Explorers,” and Brody Caldwell, a kindergartner at North Elementary School, with his entry “Hometown Pumpkins.”

The winner and two honorable mention award recipients will help cut the pumpkin festival cake on Wednesday, Oct. 27, signifying the start of the fest, and will ride in the parade on Sunday, Oct. 31. Last year’s winners will be invited to participate in this year’s celebrations and will be recognized.

Freiberg, who has lived in Sycamore all her life with her parents Jenny and John, and 6-year-old brother Vaughn, said she looks forward to Pumpkin Fest every year.

“I’m looking forward to the parade and riding in it,” she said. “I love to design and carve a pumpkin every year.”

Freiberg said that when she thought of the theme “old-fashioned,” she thought of black and white photographs, men wearing suits and women wearing fancy dresses and long white gloves.

Freiberg’s mom, Jenny, said their whole family is looking forward to an in-person Pumpkin Fest this year.

“We’ve gone to Pumpkin Fest every year since Harper was born,” she said. “We always have a lot of family come from out of town. It’s nice to have something the entire family can do. We love the community, small-town festival feel of it. It’s one of our family’s traditions.”

Freiberg said Harper winning the theme contest didn’t come as a surprise to her family.

“She’s always so creative and she has a really good imagination,” Freiberg said. “She’s won the Young Author’s contest and she’s always writing.”

Harper Freiberg’s current story isn’t about pumpkins, it’s about school supplies that attack a teacher.

“We’re all very proud of Harper, and we can’t wait for this year’s Pumpkin Fest,” Jenny Freiberg said. “Last Halloween, our whole family had COVID. We were unable to go trick-or-treating or give out candy. We’re excited to get back out, do some normal things again and attend Pumpkin Fest in person this year.”