BARNESVILLE — Belmont County Tourism Executive Director Jackee Pugh has been tapped to serve as the official ribbon cutter for the 2025 Barnesville Pumpkin Festival.

“Jackee has been a familiar and friendly face throughout our community for years – always ready with a warm smile, a helping hand and a heart for service. Her dedication to Barnesville, Belmont County Tourism, and love for our hometown traditions make her the perfect person to kick off this year’s festival!” the festival posted on its social media.

Pugh said she is honored to be chosen to cut the ceremonial ribbon at the festival, which will take place Sept. 25-28.

“I’m completely surprised and honored. It’s something that I will take very seriously, and I’m very honored to be a part of and get to kick off the ceremony,” Pugh said.

She added that the Pumpkin Festival is one of the biggest events that happens in Belmont County and she is excited to bring people into the county to attend.

“The Barnesville Pumpkin Festival is by all means one of the biggest events that happens in the county. It brings people not only from the Ohio Valley out to enjoy the great pumpkins, but people from all over the state and region as well. One of the things that I really love is not only do we get to show off the pumpkins that are huge, of course, but it shows off the growers that do all the work for those huge pumpkins as well as all of the delicious food that’s there and all pumpkin flavored,” she said.” But as you drive into Barnesville, you really get a sense of the community spirit. The homes and storefronts are all decorated. All of the people around the area come together celebrating all things pumpkin. So from a tourism standpoint, it’s really fun for me to get to promote an event that brings people in to experience all of the great things of the Pumpkin Festival, but truly the sense of community pride that Barnesville and Belmont County has to offer.”