The annual West Virginia Pumpkin Festival in Milton opens Oct. 6.

The Pumpkin Festival has been planned every year since 1986, when Gus Douglass, commissioner of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, organized the event with the mayor of Milton and John Purdue.

Since then, it has turned into one of West Virginia’s largest festivals with more than 50,000 people in attendance every October.

“It is an absolutely amazing event, [for] this little town of Milton to have such a big event is awesome,” said Regina Morgan, treasurer of the Pumpkin Festival. “All of us on the board get excited when we see kids’ faces. They may be at Kroger, Walmart, or wherever and see pumpkins, but these are bigger than they are.”

The festival offers an array of activities for all ages. These include artists who display crafts, petting zoos, largest pumpkin contests, special exhibits and demonstrations like blacksmithing, pottery making, quilting and woodworking, a mountain men encampment, apple butter churning and soap making.

Musicians will perform bluegrass, traditional music and contemporary on indoor and outdoor stages.

New events coming to this year’s festival include Jurassic Kingdom, a show about the history of dinosaurs, a firefighter training show and an antique tractors display. Heroes 4 Higher and Zappo the clown will also be visiting throughout the event.

The festival will also have a large selection of food. There will be a baking contest Saturday, where the public can bring in their baked goods to enter the contest.

“We have to-die-for baked potatoes, pumpkin flavored everything available, lemonade, ice cream, barbeque sandwiches; it’s amazing at the variety of food here,” Morgan said.

The festival is completely prepared by volunteers. Morgan said those interested in volunteering at the next Pumpkin Festival may go to the office at the festival and request to join.

Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $8 and free for children under 5 years old. Parking is free. The festival will be open until Oct. 9

Krislyn Holden can be contacted at holden16@ marshall.edu.