With a day to go before the annual festival a sackful of events and activities have already been drawn up that won’t ‘squash’ your expectations.
Thousands of youngsters and their families are expected to stroll through town in a sea of orange and in recognition of South Holland’s status as pumpkin-growing capital of Europe.
Food, fancy dress, spectacular fireworks, pumpkin carving, entertainment including music and drama, and the romance of the Flower Queen being escorted through the town centre in a pumpkin carriage have all been lined up for the town’s centrepiece event.
An exciting programme is being drawn up to celebrate all things pumpkin with thousands of South Holland residents and visitors expected to descend upon Spalding town centre on Friday 7th October.
South Holland District Council Deputy Leader, Councillor Nick Worth said: “The Pumpkin Parade is one of the highlights of the year in South Holland and we are looking forward to another colourful celebration of harvest time in which whole families can get involved.”
Dance floor fillers the Wild Boys have been lined up to bring some sparkling pop to a day of squash.
Famed for yielding a bumper crop of musical covers, the five-piece outfit will finish off a day celebrating the harvest from South Holland’s fields of gold.
From Billy Idol numbers to KC and the Sunshine Band, the Wild Boys have built a reputation for their 80s-style sets and will round off the annual spectacle with some quality entertainment.
Rich Knight, the band’s vocalist, said: “Wild Boys are the ultimate live 80s cover band. Having formed in the summer of 2009 Wild Boys are already setting very high standards with their vast performing experience and exciting shows! Covering all the great artists from the best decade in music. The 80's!”
The day’s festivities start at 10am with a programme of family fun, live music from Megz Mcpartlin, indie trio the Romantic Idols who won last year’s Lincolnshire Battle of the Bands, The Wellocks, Kamakazie Hot Shots, street artists and fireworks – all in honour of the humble pumpkin.
Grower David Bowman is the UK’s biggest producer of pumpkins, producing more than two million every year to supply supermarkets up and down the country. He gives away hundreds of the hard-skinned, fleshy spheres at the festival every year.
The event started in October 2000 and has been held annually since with the town mobilised into a march with a difference every autumn.
The Pumpkin parade is organised by South Holland District Council supported by The Rotary Club of Welland Centenary and Spalding Lions. The event is sponsored by David Bowman Ltd and compered by Tulip Radio.
