While many prepare for autumn with warm clothes and flu shots, residents of Circleville celebrate the season with a four-day festival dedicated to October’s most popular vegetable.

Billed as “The Greatest Free Show on Earth,” the Circleville Pumpkin Show will take place today through Saturday. The Pumpkin Show is the oldest and largest festival in Ohio.

“To me, the Pumpkin Show is more than a festival, it is a phenomenon,” said James River, trustee and parade director. “A town of 13,000 residents playing host to about 400,000 people in four days — enough said.”

Tonight there will be a parade celebrating the bicentennial of Circleville and Pickaway County kicking off the festivities.

More than 250 volunteers contribute their time to prepare four days of entertainment, including live music, crafts, rides and contests. There are seven parades throughout the week in addition to this year’s bicentennial.

Approximately 23,000 pumpkin pies and 100,000 pumpkin doughnuts are sold during the four-day show, according to the festival’s website.

The opening ceremony on Wednesday will feature the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-in, which requires a crane. Bob and Jo Liggett set a record last year with a pumpkin 1,635.5 pounds, according to the festival’s website.

“The Pumpkin Show allows us not to just gather together like a normal reunion might but to re-experience our youth the way it should have been,” said longtime resident Venus Eddy Taylor.

The festival restricts traffic for more than 12 blocks of downtown Circleville.

“We put on a clean and safe festival for the whole family with everything from giant pumpkins to pumpkin anything-you-can-imagine-to-eat,” River said.

Pumpkin pizza, pumpkin chili and pumpkin burgers are just a few of the pumpkin products available at the festival.

Compact car-sized pumpkins are not the only attractions. Long-standing traditions at the festival are the Miss Pumpkin Show and the Little Miss Pumpkin Show.

Candidates are interviewed and assessed by judges based on attitude, charisma and knowledge of the community and festival.

The second day of the Pumpkin Show features a Baby Parade as well as a Parade of Bands.

“We are very fortunate to have the return of Ohio State’s Marching Band in Thursday night’s Parade of Bands,” River said.   

On Thursday visitors can  participate in an egg-toss competition and attend a craft demonstration by Jack Pine on “Blown Glass Pumpkins.”

Friday will feature the Pet Parade as well as the Parade of Fraternal and Civic Organizations.

The final day of festivities kicks off with a five-mile run and also features Giant Pumpkin Sculpting by Gus the Squash Carver. There is also a Hog Calling Contest and a Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest.

Each year, Lindsey’s Bakery prepares a pumpkin pie weighing more than 400 pounds with a diameter of more than 6 feet for display in the bakery.

The final day will also include the final parade of the festival, the Parade of Queens.

“Some of us have even been known to make pumpkin web cam dates with those who cannot attend,” Taylor said.