Pumpkin pie is just one of the delectable pumpkin foods that will be available for sale at the Pumpkin Grille and Pumpkin Sweet Shoppe during this year’s Morton Pumpkin Festival. Other pumpkin samplings will include ice cream, donuts, chili, pasta and pancakes. (Photo courtesy of the Morton Chamber of Commerce)

A festival that celebrates all things pumpkin kicks off its 50th year this week with an expectation of drawing thousands of visitors to the village of Morton.

With a nod to its five decades of growth, the theme for this year’s Morton Pumpkin Festival is “The Golden Pumpkin.”

“We’re bringing in some new features, and we’ve brought back some old-time favorites to honor the 50 years and the heritage and traditions of Morton,” said Leigh Ann Brown, executive director of the Morton Chamber of Commerce, which puts on the event.

If pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin chili and pumpkin ice cream aren’t thrilling enough, the festival has added fireworks and zip line racing to this year’s offerings. Organizers are also bringing in singer Keith Semple, a finalist last year on “The Voice.”

A variety of pumpkin-themed crafts and merchandise will be featured at the Morton Pumpkin Festival, which is celebrating its 50th year with a festival theme of “The Golden Pumpkin.” (Photo courtesy of the Morton Chamber of Commerce)

Brown said the original festival organizers back in 1967 likely hoped the event would continue 50 years later but may not have expected it to grow as much as it has.

“I know there are traditions with a lot of festivals continuing for years, so they probably expected it to be around, but maybe not to the degree it is today,” Brown said. “We now have over 70,000 attendees stretching over a week of festival activities.”

Brown attributed the Pumpkin Festival’s longevity to the variety of the 30-plus activities the event offers and the continued support of the community and local businesses.

The festival began as a fundraiser and a way to celebrate the start of the pumpkin harvest and canning season at the local Libby’s pumpkin plant. Since 85 percent of the world’s canned pumpkin is processed at the Morton plant, a state proclamation was issued in 1978 deeming Morton as the “Pumpkin Capital of the World.”

While the festival definitely attracts people from the Morton area, Brown said the draw extends beyond central Illinois.

The traditional pumpkin carriage is ready for display in the Morton Pumpkin festival parade, which steps off at 10:30 a.m. Saturday along Jefferson Street in downtown Morton. The parade will feature more than 100 entries. (Photo courtesy of the Morton Chamber of Commerce)

“We see participants from almost every state each year for the 10K race,” she said. “I think the Libby’s pumpkin plant brings a national presence and draws people, as well.”

Of the 1,600 people who participated in last year’s Pumpkin Classic 10K race and 2-mile walk, about 400 came from at least 25 miles away, Brown added.

The Pumpkin Festival will officially kick off with a traditional cutting of the vine at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the festival grounds on Jefferson Street when attendees will be invited to send bubbles galore into the sky. Entertainment that night will include Morton High School singing groups, the Pumpkin Princess pageant, the Pumpkin Idol Jr. contest and a performance at 8:30 p.m. by the band Cousin Eddie.

The fun continues Thursday with a visit by the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales at 6:30 p.m. down Main Street following the annual Kiddie Parade in which children ages infant through first grade are invited to wear a costume honoring the “Golden Pumpkin” theme.

The Pumpkin Grille and the Pumpkin Sweet Shoppe both officially open for business at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, offering many savory and sweet pumpkin dishes.

“Our signature item this year will be pumpkin cupcakes to celebrate the 50 years, but we will have all the other traditional pumpkin samplings of pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin chili, pumpkin pasta and pumpkin pancakes,” Brown said.

A new addition to the Pumpkin Grille is a goat cheese pumpkin pasta salad with dried cranberries, red onions and spicy pumpkin seeds made by executive chef Jeff Madden of Kemp 208 Main Street Grille.

Anyone who only wants to partake in the food has the option of visiting the pumpkin-to-go drive-thru Thursday through Saturday at the Morton Plaza parking lot. New to the drive-thru fare this year is pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin donuts.

Morton resident Alissa Williams, a mother of two and a member of the Pumpkin Festival committee, said her young daughters look forward to the food and the carnival, which also opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

“I love the community atmosphere,” Williams said. “On Wednesday and Thursday, it’s like a town party where you constantly run into friends. Our favorite pumpkin food is the pumpkin pancakes. In fact, we plan to get up super early this year to get to the pancake breakfast when it opens (at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday) since we will be on our school’s float in the parade (at 10:30 a.m.).”

On Friday, the Pumpkin Festival brings back the Lip Sync Battle at 6:30 p.m. followed by Keith Semple’s performance at 7:30 p.m. and ending with a booming fireworks display at 8:30 p.m.

In addition to the 10K/2-mile run/walk and the parade that morning, Saturday offers a full schedule of entertainment, eating and decorating contests, food and shopping through 9 p.m. New on Saturday is a 35-foot high zip line spanning more than 300 feet starting at the Apostolic Christian Church parking lot.

“It’s a dual zip line so family and friends can race each other,” Brown said.

The zip line will cost $5 with all proceeds benefiting Project Pumpkin, an endowment fund the Chamber of Commerce launched in 2013 in partnership with the Morton Community Foundation. The fund helps provide access to the festival for families in need.

Brown said the event would not be possible without the festival’s 2,000 volunteers. Since 2011, the Morton Chamber of Commerce has donated more than $410,000 of proceeds to local nonprofit organizations and community projects.

Parking for the festival can be found in a large lot owned by the Apostolic Christian Church on Jefferson Street across the street from the festival grounds. Several additional free parking lots and some street parking is also available throughout the downtown area.

For a complete schedule of activities and other information about the Morton Pumpkin Festival, visit www.mortonpumpkinfestival.org.

— Thousands expected as Morton festival celebrates 50th anniversary —