Families are flocking to Henle Park in Leetsdale for the parks and recreation committee’s inaugural Pumpkin Festival.

The fall event at the corner of Beaver and Ferry streets kicked off Thursday afternoon.

Festivities continue from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission is free.

There is a haunted pavilion with large googly eyes, plastic bats and skeletons. The hay maze inside it leads to other activities, including face and hand painting.

Adrian Degori of Leetsdale brought several family members to the park to celebrate and watched as her daughter, Vivia DiNapoli, 2, got a purple butterfly painted on her right hand.

“It’s really nice,” Degori said. “My daughter got her hand painted with a butterfly, and she loves it. We’re going to decorate a pumpkin now. This is such a great idea.”

Parks and recreation board member Caitlin Gresham volunteered to do the face and hand painting.

“We really wanted to give back to the kids in the community and give them something fun to do in the fall, and help raise funds for future park programs,” Gresham said.

Corndogs, cotton candy, candy apples, other treats and, of course, pumpkins were available for purchase.

One of the more popular activities on opening day was pumpkin tic-tac-toe. Players grabbed small pumpkins with X’s and O’s and strategically placed them on a black-and-white table.

Residents Max Napolitano, 7, and his brother, Costa, 3, were highly competitive players.

“It’s wonderful,” said their mother, Maria Napolitano, vice president of Leetsdale Council. “We’ve been really looking to ramp up community events to basically just welcome everybody in the community. Over the summer, we had the movies in the park. Maybe 50 people showed up, which was really great.

“It’s good seeing new faces, newer residents and younger families who recently moved to the borough. Leetsdale is a vibrant place, (and) it really is a nice park.”

Napolitano commended parks and recreation president Deb Canney and her committee for making the festival happen.

Canney said they spent a few days setting things up. Giant Eagle in Leetsdale donated cupcakes and icing for a decorating station. Other committee members also chipped in by painting wooden cutouts so people can poke their heads in different characters for pictures.

“This brings our community together,” Canney said. “That’s what it’s all about is community. Everybody knows everybody, and if you don’t you will when you leave.”

There are pumpkins of various sizes for purchase. A cornstalk tent is right beside the display. Children can crawl inside and pick a prize. Proceeds go toward future events.

More information about Leetsdale recreation programs can be found on its parks and recreation Facebook page.

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