Sycamore Pumpkin Fest 2022 is here: Here’s what to know about the popular fall festival

SYCAMORE – Terri Goodman, president of the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival, said she has participated in the festival since she was 5 years old and still relishes the hometown atmosphere of the event.

“The festival itself for me is literally about being a part of Sycamore,” Goodman said.

Goodman said families use the festivity as a homecoming, and a lot of Sycamore High School classes plan their reunions for the weekend of the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival, including hers, the Class of 1982.

“That truly is, for me, what is the best part of Pumpkin Festival – family,” Goodman said. “It’s about hometown. It’s about gathering together and being with your friends and family and celebrating Sycamore.”

The 61st annual Sycamore Pumpkin Festival runs Wednesday through Sunday. The festival will feature a pumpkin display contest outside the DeKalb County Courthouse and events throughout downtown Sycamore.

This year’s theme, “Wish Upon a Pumpkin,” was created by Vivian Rubicz, a fifth grader at St. Mary’s School in Sycamore. Rubicz’s theme was chosen from a pool of 122 entries submitted in the 2022 Pumpkin Festival Theme Contest. She and two honorable mentions will be guests of honor in the Pumpkin Festival Parade on Sunday.

Unlike previous years, no grand marshal was selected for this year’s festival.

The festival started as a fundraising project by Wally Thurow for the Sycamore Lions Club. It began as a pumpkin-decorating contest that drew 300 entries in its first year before expanding to include food options, a pie-eating contest and a dance at the armory.

From its inaugural rendition, the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival has been an event held by local nonprofit organizations and benefits those same entities.

The goal of the festival, Goodman said, is simple: safe and family friendly fun for all ages, as well as a chance to raise funds for area nonprofits.

“That is the goal of our festival overall, which is different from most other festivals,” Goodman said. “Most festivals will hire in vendors and various things like that that are more commercial, and ours really focuses on helping the nonprofits.”

This year’s Friend of the Festival is Steve Cook, retired deputy chief of the Sycamore Police Department. He said he thinks the nonprofit aspect of the festival is an important component that shouldn’t be forgotten.

“The purpose of the festival is to give the nonprofits a chance to fundraise for their specific nonprofit group,” Cook said. “That’s why the Pumpkin Fest Committee is very guarded with our service marks, you know, which are like trademarks and things.”

The Sycamore Pumpkin Festival will kick into gear at 5 p.m. Wednesday with the cutting of a giant cake, donated by Hy-Vee, near the courthouse on North Maple Stree. Rubicz will take part in the cake cutting, along with two students who earned honorable mentions for their themes: Mason Clark, a first grader from Cornerstone Christian Academy, with the entry “Pumpkins on Vacation,” and Lennox Freeman, a kindergartner from Southeast Elementary School, with the entry “Pumpkin Magic.”

From 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, games, storytime and treats for those in kindergarten through fifth grade will be hosted at the Sycamore Public Library. Those attending are encouraged to wear a costume.

Friday will feature two carnivals and a craft show. The Teen Carnival is located at the intersection of North Sacramento and State streets, while the Kiddie Carnival is at the corner of Somonauk and West Elm streets.

Both carnivals run from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., but there is a $35 ride special from 4 to 8 p.m. The carnivals are open the same hours Saturday, with the $35 ride special in effect from 5 to 9 p.m. An additional ride special for $30 runs from noon to 4 p.m.

The United Methodist Church Craft Show, 160 Johnson Ave., will run from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Also on Saturday is the Sycamore Kiwanis Pie-Eating Contest, held at 4 p.m. on the courthouse lawn.

The Sycamore Chamber 10,000 Meter Road Run starts at 9:05 a.m. at the Sycamore Armory that day.

The culmination of the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival, the Pumpkin Festival Parade, kicks off at 1 p.m. Sunday from the corner of Borden Avenue and Somonauk Street.

“We tell everybody, ‘Don’t just come on Sunday for the parade,’ ” Goodman said, “although that’s a wonderful event, and I work very hard to make it really special because I’m also the parade [chairman]. But really, come on out all weekend long – Friday and Saturday as well – because there’s all kinds of great food and activities.”