Morton Pumpkin Festival facts for kids

The Morton Pumpkin Festival is a super fun four-day event held every September in Morton, Illinois. It started in 1967 and now over 75,000 people come to celebrate pumpkins each year! The Morton Chamber of Commerce helps organize and sponsor this amazing festival.

Discover the History of the Pumpkin Festival

The very first Morton Pumpkin Festival happened in 1967. It was created to raise money and celebrate the yearly pumpkin harvest. This harvest was special because of the local Libby's plant.

The Libby's plant was built in 1925 by the Dickinson Canning Company. Libby's bought it in 1929. Another town, Eureka, Illinois, used to call itself the "Pumpkin Capital of the World." They had a canning factory too, which joined with Morton's operations in the late 1950s.

In 1978, the Governor of Illinois, James R. Thompson, officially named Morton the "Pumpkin Capital of the World." This title is because the Nestlé-owned Libby's plant in Morton processes over 80 percent of all the canned pumpkin in the world! Libby's became an official sponsor of the festival in 2012.

Libby's grows a special type of pumpkin called Dickinson Select. About 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares) of these pumpkins are planted in the farmlands around Morton. These pumpkins are known for their "delicious taste, creamy texture, and pleasing orange color." But they don't look like the pumpkins you use for carving jack-o-lanterns!

In 2015, a local politician named Keith P. Sommer from Morton helped suggest a law. This law would make pumpkin pie the official State Pie of Illinois.

In 2020, many events were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the Morton Pumpkin Festival held a special online event instead.

Festival Themes: A New Adventure Each Year

Every year, the Morton Chamber of Commerce chooses a special theme for the Morton Pumpkin Festival. People who visit the festival can vote for their favorite theme ideas in September. The best ideas then go to a special committee and the Chamber of Commerce for the final decision. The new theme is announced in January or February.

Many parts of the festival, like the parades, contests, and shows, use the yearly theme. You'll see costumes, music, and decorations that match the theme!

Past Festival Themes

Here are some of the themes from past festivals:

• 1973 Cinderella Land
• 1974 Nature's Harvest
• 1975 Seeds of Freedom
• 1976 Freedom's Harvest
• 1977 Centennial's Pumpkin
• 1978 Happiness is...
• 1979 It's a Pumpkin World
• 1980 Pumpkin Country Round Up
• 1981 Pumpkin Patch Patriotism
• 1982 Pumpkin Harvest Harmony
• 1983 Old Fashioned Pumpkin Picnic
• 1984 Pumpkin City Fantasy
• 1985 The Great Pumpkin Circus
• 1986 Pumpkin Festival Memories, 20 Years of Celebration
• 1987 Pumpkins Go Hollywood
• 1988 Pumpkins Go for the Gold
• 1989 Pumpkins Around the World
• 1990 We’re Off To See the Pumpkins
• 1991 Pumpkin Festival XXV
• 1992 Fairytales on Parade
• 1993 Pumpkin Paradise
• 1994 Pumpkin Fiesta
• 1995 Pumpkin Wonderland
• 1996 30th Annual Pumpkin Party
• 1997 Planet Pumpkin
• 1998 Pumpkins go Prehistoric
• 1999 Pumpkins Rockin’ & Rollin’
• 2000 Pumpkins on the Job
• 2001 A Pumpkin Odyssey
• 2002 Red, White & Blue in 2002
• 2003 Pumpkin Safari
• 2004 Pumpkins Under the Sea
• 2005 Great Pumpkins in History
• 2006 40th Pumpkin Birthday Party
• 2007 Pumpkins Go Hawaiian
• 2008 Superhero Pumpkins
• 2009 Christmas in the Pumpkin Patch
• 2010 Pumpkin Splash
• 2011 Pumpkins Across America
• 2012 Peace, Love, and Pumpkins
• 2013 Pumpkin Carnivale
• 2014 Pumpkins of the West
• 2015 Pumpkins of the Caribbean
• 2016 Golden Pumpkin: A Celebration of 50 Years
• 2017 Das Pumpkin
• 2018 S'more Pumpkin
• 2019 Luck O' the Pumpkin
• 2020 Roaring Pumpkins & All That Jazz
• 2021 Pumpkins, Tailgates, and Traditions
• 2022 Pumpkins Go 80s
• 2023 Farmin' Pumpkins
• 2024 Pumpkins Run for the Roses

Delicious Pumpkin Festival Food

Many people come to the festival just for the food, especially all the amazing pumpkin-flavored treats! Besides regular fair food and pumpkin pie, you can find unique items. These include pumpkin chili, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin doughnuts, and pumpkin ice cream. There's also pumpkin baked beans, pumpkin jambalaya, and pumpkin pasta salad!

The biggest food event is usually the all-you-can-eat Pumpkin Pancake breakfast on Saturday morning.

In the early years, Libby's gave away free pumpkin pies. By 1984, the festival had 2,000 pies! Many different groups have helped make these pies over the years.

In 1977, they started selling pork chop BBQ, and it was a huge hit. Pumpkin pancakes were added in 1983. In 1984, they sold about 5,000 pancakes and over 1,000 pumpkin cookies. Pumpkin chili and pumpkin ice cream joined the menu in 1985.

In 1990, a local store made a giant pumpkin bar. It was 30 feet (9.1 meters) long, 3 feet (0.91 meters) wide, and weighed over 750 pounds (340 kg)! It could feed more than 6,000 people. Pumpkin donuts were added in 1998. In 2014, pumpkin cornbread was sold for the "Pumpkins of the West" theme.

Punkin Chuckin': Launching Pumpkins High!

The Punkin Chuckin' Contest was a popular Morton tradition. In this contest, giant machines would hurl, catapult, or shoot 5-10 pound (2.3-4.5 kg) pumpkins into a big open field. The competition started in 1996 and ended in 2016.

Competitors tried to throw pumpkins at least one mile (1.6 km) to win the title of "Punkin' Chucker Supreme." This contest was inspired by a similar one in Delaware. Morton even holds a world record for the farthest pumpkin ever thrown!

The Punkin Chuckin' Contest featured many different kinds of machines. Some were trebuchets (like giant slingshots), and others were air cannons. One machine, the Q-36 Pumpkin Modulator, even earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The Q-36 is a 100-foot (30-meter) long air cannon. It once fired a pumpkin 4,680 feet (1,426 meters) for a world record! This cannon has an 80-foot (24-meter) barrel and a huge 1,800 US gallon (6,800 liter) air tank. It weighs a massive 36,000 pounds (16,000 kg). A pumpkin leaving the Q-36 can fly at nearly 681 miles per hour (1,096 km/h)! This amazing cannon has even been shown on TV shows like the Late Show with David Letterman. Another famous machine, the Acme Catapult, was featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2003.

Entertainment and Exciting Performances

The main Entertainment Stage used to be inside the Food Tent. But in 2009, it moved outside! The entertainment includes local music groups, fun lip sync contests, and exciting pie eating contests. In 2010, a new contest called "Pumpkin Idol" started, just like the famous "American Idol" TV show.

Many local performers have entertained the crowds over the years. These include the Beatles cover band American English, Elvis impersonator Lee Hall, and the Jim Markum Swing Band. The Gut Bucket Band, which later became the Central Illinois Banjo Club, also performed.

In 2019, some of the performers included the Morton High School (Morton, Illinois) band, the Central Illinois Banjo Club, New Odyssey Guy, Bogside Zukes, Cousin Eddie, Jim Markum Swing Band, and American English.

A fun carnival has been a part of the festival since it first began. It is hosted by Big M Amusements, offering rides and games for everyone!