Cumberland Valley Community Connections hosted its third annual Shippensburg Pumpkin Festival on Oct. 26 and 27. The free two-day event took place at the Shippensburg Fairgrounds from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. It included many activities that were amusing for all ages. 

On Saturday, the four-time ice sculpting world champion and Food Network champion pumpkin artist David Smith, alongside fellow Food Network champion pumpkin artist, and ice/sand artist Danny Kissel, performed live pumpkin carving. The event was riddled with anticipation as the men focused to make their art. Kissel is a Shippensburg native and is competing in “Outrageous Pumpkins: All Stars” on Food Network in the current season. 

The event featured hayrides, pop-up vendors, inflatables, a pumpkin painting station, food trucks and more. There was a Redemption BBQ food truck, as well as Shuman’s Concessions selling many favorites like sausages, cheesesteaks, hamburgers, hotdogs and pretzel braids. Many pop-up tents with sponsors displayed their products for sale, as well as some offering promotional raffles or samples. 

Some of these companies included Disobedient Spirits Craft Distillery, the Beistle Co., Licari Boutique, Leaf Filter Gutter Protection, CCA Public Cyber School, and more. Licari Boutique sold a variety of items including seasonal clothing, coasters, accessories, and most popularly, permanent jewelry. 

The Beistle Co. displayed many products like candles, soap and lotion. Their main feature was a small pen with two baby goats, which quickly became a petting zoo as kids waited for their turn. They used fresh goat milk from the goats to make their products. 

Spread throughout the fairgrounds were professionally carved pumpkins with designs that could appeal to anyone. Many pumpkins had characters carved into them such as SpongeBob, the Simpsons and different emojis.

Smith said he is “from Columbus, Ohio, but we get to travel as many places that will have us all over the country. As a four-time world champion in ice carving, I get free vacations as long as I carry my chainsaw. We get to make a mess for a living, so it can’t get better than that.”

Some children at the event chose to dress in costume while others dressed in everyday attire. Running around and playing, many children also took breaks to paint pumpkins and bounce on the inflatable bounce house and slide. There was a box full of small pumpkins that people could choose from to then decorate with paint or take home to carve. 

With the Halloween spirit in mind, anyone could come to engage in crafts, games, shopping, and even a hayride. The decoratively carved pumpkins at the event were made over several hours and were crafted with many small details, impressing everyone who watched. 

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