By Susan Manning

Staff writer

After Ashland Day was canceled, the high school Student Council was determined to bring a little fun and some festivities back to the town. 

 

“The Student Council decided to put on this event after Ashland Day was canceled. We understood the town’s disappointment in having to cancel an annual celebration multiple years in a row, so we are hoping to bring back the town’s spirits with food, carnival games, and performances for this year,” said Ella Fong, Student Council president.

Ashland Pumpkin Fest is a community-based event at the Ashland High School on Saturday, Oct. 22. Ella Fong, Eesha Gorantla, Kyle Schiller, Sam Bier, and Natalie Dunbar, the members of the Ashland Student Council Executive Board, and its advisors Joshua Wiczer and Erika Thomson, have been planning for Pumpkin Fest for several months. Additionally, STUCO open enrollment members will be volunteering to help run activities at the festival. 

According to Fong, there will be different bouncy houses for all age groups, a petting zoo and an obstacle course. She said the Lions Club will be running its annual golf ball drop as well.

In addition, various clubs and organizations from the high school and the town will be running activities at various booths. These activities range from face painting to raffles and basketball shoots.

The Pumpkin Fest will host a variety of performances including the high school chorus and Zeta fencing. 

Fong said the community support has been wonderful.

“We are partnering with many community groups such as the Ashland Lions Club and Pre-School PTO to bring fun games and activities to our fest. We are grateful for our generous sponsors who are the reason this event is happening,” she commented.

 “While planning this event, we have been fortunate enough to be able to talk to various organizations and businesses in the Ashland community. The connections we have formed and sense of community we have found in Ashland is extremely valuable to us. We have been so incredibly lucky to find such generous support within Ashland and its surrounding towns. 

“Most of all, our favorite part of planning this event is knowing how it will bring all of us together at the Pumpkin Festival this fall and give students, organizations and businesses the opportunity to form new connections which we know to be extremely valuable while in our community and for the rest of our lives,” Fong continued.

 Fong said the event is accessible to those with disabilities, as it will be located right on the high school baseball field. 

“The food area will be hosted in the high school’s back parking lot, so for anyone concerned about uneven grounds, there will be seating in the parking lot. Additionally, parking is extremely convenient and close to the event’s location,” she said.

The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 22, from 2 to 7 PM. Tickets are $.50 each. Any money raised from ticket sales, will be distributed back to those who sold the tickets. 

For more information, visit: https://sites.google.com/ashland.k12.ma.us/stucoashland/events/ashland-fall-fest.