PAGE 16 THE DALLAS POST Sunday, September 11, 2011 RS — DALLAS Contest takes on new direction By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com The Good Gourd Contest of the Dallas Harvest Festival hasnt changed much since it started back in 2006 - it was always an ama- teur baking contest utilizing fresh or canned pumpkin. This year the contest will carve a new era in the festival's history. The Good Gourd Contest has been changed to an amateur pumpkin and gourd decorating competition. Contest chairperson Karen Fiorello said festival-goers were asking for a change this year to get everyone involved in the fun, including children. “We wanted to get all age groups involved and we tried to keep with something in theme with the har- vest time of year, and now kids nat- urally go to pumpkin carving,” said Fiorello. The contest’s rules are laden with safety precautions — only cer- tain age groups are allowed to carve. Fiorello said this measure allows children between the ages of 4 and 7 to be safe while decorat- ing at their own skill level. Other age groups include 8 to 10 year olds, 11 to 15 year olds and 16 and older. First, second, third and honorable mention prizes will be awarded within each age group. Fiorello said three judges, in- The Good Gourd Contest has been changed to an amateur pumpkin and gourd decorating competition. Contest chair- person Karen Fiorello said fetival-goers were asking for a change this year to get every- one involved in the fun, in- cluding children. cluding two art teachers from lo- real school districts and one fron a local art studio, will choose the winners. A $25 prize will be awarded to the first place winner in each age group. Participants’ creations will be on display at the George M. Dal- las Lodge on Main Street throughout the festival. Pump- kin decorators should bring their carved creations to the George M. Dallas Lodge between the hours of 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. for their decor to be judged. Judging will occur at 11 a.m., and winners will be announced on the main stage during the festival. Winners will be photographed in front of the George M. Dallas Lodge on Main Street during the festival. Fiorello said the contest will have a family theme and urges participants to keep that in mind. BILL TARUTIS FILE PHOTO/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Rita Barna, left, of Dallas, and Becky Sims, of Shavertown, look over fall floral items at the Holiday Treasures booth at the 2010 Dal- las Harvest Festival. "We don’t want any inappro- priate entires," she said. "This is a family-themed event." She hopes the change of con- test rules will encourage all fes- tival-goers from youth to adult participate in the fun. “We're always looking to do something new and exciting, and Only this year’s participation this just seemed like an easy pro- will tell if the contest will contin- gression,” she said of the con- ue next year. test’s change. "T hope it does," said Fiorello. : MH —————_—, aG:zTh sii A ————— a b ———— Unwavering support from community keeps annual event rocking. HOW TO GET INVOLVED The Dallas Harvest Festival is still looking for volunteers for the big By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com day. Contact the Dallas Borough offices at 675-1389 to see how you can help. The Dallas Harvest Festival has always been able to rock Main Street due to the generous support of local businesses in the Back Mountain. Carol Wall, chairperson of the festival development committee, said businesses really enjoy tak- ing responsibility for certain as- pects of the festival, from the Le- with and Freeman Main Stage to the Frontier Communications sponsorship of the Kiss the Pig Contest and new community stage. “I can’t say I've ever ap- proached a business that didn’t ‘want to participate,” Wall said. Businesses continue to spon- sor the event every year, part of the reason why the annual event continues. Rich Fufuro, one of the found- ing members of the fest, said the first year in 2003, due to charging vendors a modest fee, the festival committee “broke even” on costs. The overarching point in hav- ing vendors pay for space is to de- fray the cost for festival-goers who want to participate in all the fun. Wall said this is especially im- portant when it comes to kids’ events at the festival. The Com- mittee to Re-Elect Senator Lisa Baker is sponsoring the Kids’ Corner again, allowing parents to keep the youngsters busy with- out emptying their wallets. “From the beginning, the Dal- las Harvest Festival has been about bringing enthusiasm and interest to our own local commu- nity, and highlighting things about the Back Mountain, includ- ing businesses and our communi- ty downtown,” said Wall. There are even sponsors that don’t always have their name at- tached to a fixture at the festival — Hilbert’s Equipment and Welding in Dallas helps out by aiding ven- dors haul materials to and from the grounds. Emmanuel Bus Lines has also jumped on board to offer shuttle services to the festival from the Twin Stacks Shopping Center along Memorial Highway. Wall said all these donations of time and effort ensure the soar- ing success of the Dallas Harvest Festival each year. “We try to do two things: we try to bring awareness to sponsors and offer publicity as a Back Mountain business and this helps to defray costs of having the event,” she said. Dallas Borough also plays a big role in organizing the event, from providing police offers to direct traffic to closing roads in order to keep vendors and the public safe. “From the beginning, the Dallas Harvest Fes- tival has been about bringing enthusiasm and interest to our own local community, and high- lighting things about the Back Mountain, including businesses and our com- munity downtown." Carol Wall Development Committee chairperson Constable Pete Fischer, of Ashley, keeps traffic flowing smoothly at the 2010 Dallas Harvest Festival. (Generous business support keeps festival going BILL TARUTIS FILE PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Pat Peiffer, of Dallas, looks at the "Through the years ... Life and Times at Dallas High’ exhibit at the 2010 Dallas Harvest Festival. FREE SHUTTLE/PARKING LORE CRE ERR ETE SE] - Sun. Sept. 18 » 1-6PM ing at Misericordia University & Twin Stack Complex - Compliments of Emanuel Bus Service i
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