ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The 59th annual Barnesville Pumpkin Festival is set for this week — Sept. 21-24 — and will feature contests, entertainment, rides, food, a Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off and the Giant Pumpkin Parade.

The event will take place in downtown Barnesville, and admission is free.

The Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off takes place before the festival officially gets underway from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday. The contest is open to everyone with no entry fee. The person who enters the “King Pumpkin” will receive $2 per pound after all pumpkins are weighed, and it is likely that grower also will set a state, national or world record, as has been the case during several past festivals.

One main event will be the Giant Pumpkin Parade, held at 12:45 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, rain or shine. This year’s parade is sponsored and presented by Woodsfield Savings Bank. Pumpkin trophies will be awarded after the parade to the top three in each of the following categories: best pumpkin/harvest float, best homemade float, best group/band, best auto/truck, best royalty, best tractor and best horse.

The festival will feature live entertainment every day on two stages in downtown Barnesville, the Central Stage and the Pumpkin Stage. The Central Stage will be located at the East Main Street parking lot near the corner of South Chestnut and East Main streets. The Pumpkin Stage will be next to Domino’s Pizza in the West Main Street parking lot. Local bands and musicians will also be performing at Blue Moon Tavern at 126 W. Main St.

The Barnesville Pumpkin Festival 5K Run and Walk will take place at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, starting at the Watt Center. Registration will take place from 6:45-8:15 a.m. Those who wish to participate must pay a registration fee.

The festival will also have a free race for children starting around 10 a.m. the same day. All children who participate will receive a pumpkin medallion and mini-pumpkin handed to them by “Spider-Man.”

A variety of refreshments will be available for all runners and walkers.

The Antique and Classic Car Show will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, at the Barnesville High School campus, located at 910 Shamrock Drive.

According to the Pumpkin Festival’s website, the show is one of the largest car shows in the area and pulls in hundreds of vehicles from Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Registration for the car show will take place from 9 a.m. until noon on Sept. 24. Those who wish to enter a vehicle must pay an entry fee. Dash plaques and small pumpkin trophies will be given to the first 300 cars registered. The top 75 entries will receive awards, and the top vehicle will receive a “Best of Show” trophy. The Car Show Committee will start judging around 3 p.m.

A free shuttle bus service will be available all day on Sept. 24 to transport people to and from the car show.

For more information about the festival and to see the complete schedule of events, visit barnesvillepumpkinfestival.com or go to the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival Facebook page. The information booth can be reached at 740-425-2593 during the festival.

The Barnesville Pumpkin Festival is always held during the last full weekend in September.