Hardwick, News

Pumpkin Walk is all About Children

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HARDWICK — October 6 marked the 20th anniversary of Hardwick’s annual Pumpkin Walk.

photo by Paul Fixx
Visitors to the Pumpkin Walk on October 6 stop at a table where they are offered cider and donuts, freshly made at Buffalo Mountain Market.

Helen Beattie of the Hardwick Trails Committee has been volunteering since the beginning. The trails were created 22 years ago and Beattie says that “The Pumpkin Walk was a way to get people interested in visiting . . .”

Now, 20 years later, Beattie believes the event is popular “Because it has become a multi-generational event. Students who once carved pumpkins are now bringing their children. Approximately 500 people attend every year. It’s so magical and showcases the work of Hardwick children.”

photo by Paul Fixx
Ryan Holbrook (left) holds the pumpkin he carved during art class the week before Sunday’s Pumpkin Walk while his brother Adrian Holbrook looks on. Finding the pumpkins each student carved is a family activity for those attending the event.
photo by Paul Fixx\
Ainsley LaRose holds the pumpkin she carved in Beth LeCours’ art class the week before Sunday’s Pumpkin Walk. Hardwick Elementary School students carved and painted 350 pumpkins that lit the trail Sunday.

Initially, members of the trails committee harvested the pumpkins for the walk. Now pumpkins are purchased from Slice of Earth Farmstand in Wolcott. They’re stored in an air conditioned and dehumidified log cabin behind Hazen Union until the night of the walk when volunteers line the trails with pumpkins starting at 4:30 p.m.

A bonfire had been built with wood donated by Dave’s Sawmill by the time the first visitors arrived at 6 p.m.

Volunteers offered freshly-made donuts from Buffalo Mountain Market and Hannaford’s cider to guests after they walked the first part of the trail lit by pumpkins.

Lynn Angebranndt celebrated her fourth year doing refreshments for the event and helping at Hardwick Elementary the week before to carve pumpkins. “It’s so fun and very family-friendly. People come from all over, even Canada,” she said.

Norma and Ron Wiesen of the Hardwick Trails Committee have volunteered for 20 years and believe that the event’s popularity is due to the “involvement of all the elementary school students.”

photo by Paul Fixx
Pumpkin Walk visitors mingle around a crackling fire, Sunday, Oct. 6.
photo by Amber Saras
Dressed and made up as a witch, Lesa Cathcart reads non-scary stories and sings halloween songs to children attending the Hardwick Trails Pumpkin Walk, October 6.

Lesa Cathcart, a former Head Start teacher has dressed as a friendly witch telling non-spooky stories by the bonfire for 20 years. She started bringing her students to the event and said, `“What’s not to love?! It’s good for kids to participate in their community.”

photo by Paul Fixx
Sunday’s first Pumpkin Walk visitors, Beckham English (left) and Audra Boudreau, sample cider and donuts. English said about his donut, “It’s good.”

The Allen Family of Hardwick, whose three boys attend Hardwick Elementary School, shared that the event “feels magical and awesome!”

James Lockhart, art teacher at Hazen, has carved the large pumpkin welcoming visitors at the entrance to the walk for a number of years.

photo by Paul Fixx
Trails Committee member Ron Wiesen (right), a Pumpkin Walk volunteer for 20-years is interviewed by Hardwick Gazette Intern Olivia Saras, a People’s Academy Senior, Sunday, Oct. 6.

The Wiesens expressed their appreciation for Beth LeCours, the Hardwick Elementary School art teacher. “Beth has been doing this for 20 years and making sure each kid gets to carve a pumpkin.”

A trails committee member acknowledged Lesa Cathcart saying; “No one can deny Lesa. She is great and the children love her.”

By 8 p.m., the fire was dying down while a few families were still looking for the pumpkins their students had carved. Candles in some of the pumpkins were going out while volunteers were packing up leftover supplies and talking about next year’s Pumpkin Walk.

photo by Paul Fixx
A trail leaving the fire area with cider, donuts and storytelling is lit by pumpkins at Sunday’s Pumpkin Walk.

Olivia Saras is an intern in her senior year at People’s Academy in Morrisville.

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The Hardwick Gazette

The Hardwick Gazette, PO Box 9, Hardwick, VT 05843

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EDITOR
Paul Fixx

SPORTS WRITERS
Ken Brown
Eric Hanson
PHOTOGRAPHER
Vanessa Fournier
CIRCULATION
Dawn Gustafson
PRODUCTION
Sandy Atkins, Dawn Gustafson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Trish Alley, Sandy Atkins, Brendan Buckley, Elizabeth Dow, Hal Gray, Henry Homeyer, Pat Hussey,Willem Lange, Cheryl Luther Michaels, Tyler Molleur, Liz Steel. John Walters
INTERNS
Megan Cane, Raymonda Parchment

CARTOONIST
Julie Atwood