Morton Pumpkin Festival

The pumpkin pie Americans enjoy each Thanksgiving often comes from pumpkins grown near Morton, Illinois. The region accounts for more than 95% of canned pumpkin in the U.S.

Here are 3 things to do for the weekend of Sept. 13- Sept. 15, 2023, curated by WCBU's Camryn Cutinello. You can find more coverage on our Out & About - Arts & Music page or by subscribing to WCBU's Weekend Fanfare email newsletter, which goes out every Friday.

With his orange, high-top vintage Converse sneakers and pumpkin-themed stockings, Mark Mourlas is easily identifiable as a pumpkin enthusiast. An expert in all facets of pumpkin growing, varieties and breeding, Mourlas is often called on to preside over pumpkin breeding competitions at locations throughout the upper Midwest.

Morton wasn't the first "Pumpkin Capital of the World," or the first home of the Pumpkin Festival. That honor belongs to Eureka, the Woodford County seat, about 17 miles northeast of Morton.

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…