116th Circleville Pumpkin Show
Circleville, Ohio – Harvest has begun so fall is here. There is dew in the morning on the pumpkins
and the corn, soybeans, and pumpkins are ready to be harvested. Giant Pumpkins grow in the fields
under the watchful eyes of their growers. If you are looking to celebrate Fall and find Giant Pumpkins
or pumpkins to carve or bake in pies there is no better place to go than to one of the nation’s largest
and oldest pumpkin festivals – the 116th Circleville Pumpkin Show, October 18-21 (Wednesday
through Saturday) in Circleville, Ohio just 25 miles south of Columbus in central Ohio.
The Circleville Pumpkin Show dates to the turn of the 20 th century and is credited as the idea of then
Mayor George Haswell. It was in 1903 when Mayor Haswell organized a small display in front of the
waterworks office on West Main Street. His original idea was to provide an opportunity for farmers to
come to town, besides their annual trip to pay their taxes, to exhibit their produce since there was no
county fair at the time. That first occasion occupied 30 feet of table space along the dusty unpaved
street. The mayor had also invited the Old Yellow bud Band to perform so the first parade was
formed. Everyone came dressed up to view the biggest pumpkin and see what kind of corn, beans,
and other vegetables the neighbor on the adjoining farm was growing. While the Circleville Pumpkin
Show has grown to cover more than nine city blocks in downtown Circleville it is still dedicated to
promoting the agriculture and business of this community.
More than 100,000 pounds of pumpkins, squash and gourds will be featured in street displays. There
are displays of canned goods, baked goods, a flower show, arts and crafts, fruits and vegetables, and
a fine art show.
The Circleville Pumpkin Show attracts over 400,000 visitors to this small Central Ohio community of
just over 13,000 people. Visitors from all 50 states and many foreign countries come to see the giant
pumpkins, parades, entertainment, contests, and sample all the pumpkin flavored delicacies.
Each year the Circleville Pumpkin Show opens with area pumpkin growers vying for the coveted
Giant Pumpkin Champion Trophy and $3000 for the first prize winner from the Pumpkin Show and the
Concessionaires who come each year to the Show. The Giant Pumpkin Weigh In will begin at 9:15
AM on Wednesday, October 19th. The Giant Pumpkin Weigh In is sponsored by The Kingston
National Bank.
The current Giant Pumpkin record at the Circleville Pumpkin Show is 1964 pounds grown by
Circleville’s Robert and Jo Liggett for the 2014 Pumpkin Show. 2022’s winning pumpkin was also
grown by Robert and Jo Liggett, their 15 th win, and weighed 1837.5 pounds. All together in 2022 there
were 29 Giant Pumpkins entered into the contest. Second place was won by John Pritchard with his
1438 Pound Pumpkin and third place went to Brandon Wiggins with his 1347-pound pumpkin.
This year we are delighted to have the Creators Wanted escape room-style mobile manufacturing
experience join us on East Franklin Street in the city parking lot. Brought to you by the National
Association of Manufacturers and the Manufacturing Institute, the immersive experience and industry
leading campaign is designed to give festival goers a glimpse into the exciting future of modern
manufacturing in the United States.
Bakers at Lindsey’s Bakery in Circleville will continue their 60 plus year tradition of making one of the
world’s largest pumpkin pies during the Pumpkin Show. Last year’s pumpkin pie weighed over 400
pounds and stretched 6 feet in diameter. The pie takes 6 hours to bake, is cooled for 6 hours, and
then displayed at the bakery during the four-day pumpkin extravaganza.
What started as a gathering of local farmers proudly displaying their crops is now an event which is
reportedly Ohio’s oldest and largest festival and has been called “The Greatest Free Show on Earth.”
There is no admission fee so anyone can come and enjoy the Show.
The Circleville Pumpkin Show is filled with family entertainment including live music, 7 parades, each
with a different theme, and over 400 booths offering food, retail, games, and crafts for sale. In
addition to its Miss Pumpkin Show Contest, the Pumpkin Show also features fun, crowd-pleasing
contests including Pumpkin Pie Eating for both kids and adults, a Pet Parade and contest and
entertainment each day of the Show at The Savings Bank Stage in Pumpkin Show Park sponsored
by The Savings Bank.
For the eighth year, we are proud to host the Lima Company Memorial – “The Eyes of Freedom” a
very powerful tribute to the Lima Company, 3 rd Battalion, and 25th Marine Regiment which was one of
the most heavily engaged combat units in the Iraq War. During its 2005 deployment, 22 Marines and
1 Navy Corpsman gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation and this memorial honors those
heroes. This very moving and emotional tribute is located at Memorial Hall at the corner of Main
Street and Pickaway Street.
Many of the foods at the Circleville Pumpkin Show are pumpkin-related: pumpkin pies, donuts,
cookies, burgers, pizza, tacos, chili, elephant ears, pancakes, taffy, ice cream, cake, waffles, cream
puffs, fudge, brownies, and many other pumpkin treats. There are thousands of pumpkin pies and
over 100,000 pumpkin donuts sold during the four days. So, visit our many food vendors for these
pumpkin delicacies.Come join us for the “Greatest Free Show on Earth,” the Circleville Pumpkin Show!
For more information on the Circleville Pumpkin Show please call 740-474-7000 or go to our website
at www.pumpkinshow.com
Submitted by The Circleville Pumpkin Show.
