The Morton Pumpkin Festival is still on for 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic means it will look different than any of the previous 53 celebrations of the village's signature crop.
Morton Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Leigh Ann Brown said current state guidelines mean the traditional festival grounds, carnival rides, or the carnival midway are off the table this year.
But she said the community spirit of the September festival won't be lost.
"Our traditional Morton Pumpkin Festival mission has always been to gather and give back. While our gather will look different, our give-back will return to better," she said.
This year's festival theme is the 1920's-inflected "Roaring Pumpkins and All That Jazz." Brown said the festival is focused on driving traffic to local brick-and-mortar businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through the "Talk of the Town" campaign that uses classic '20s tropes like F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby."
"While this year will be different, we look forward to go local impact of support and shop local," Brown said.
The Pumpkin Drive Thru, Business-in-Place Expo, and a Drive-Thru spin on the Pumpkin Festival Parade at the Morton VFW are still set. The Pumpkin Classic 2-Mile and 10K are now virtual events.
The Morton Pumpkin Festival is Sept. 16-19.
We’re living in unprecedented times when information changes by the minute. WCBU will continue to be here for you, keeping you up-to-date with the live, local and trusted news you need. Help ensure WCBU can continue with its in-depth and comprehensive COVID-19 coverage as the situation evolves by making a contribution.
