BARNESVILLE — Not even Friday’s rain could keep pumpkin enthusiasts away from the 60th annual Barnesville Pumpkin Festival on Friday.

Although the crowd was smaller than if there had been zero precipitation, people still flocked to the festival to eat, shop and enjoy all of the activities and amenities offered at the historic celebration.

Barnesville Pumpkin Festival Vice President Keith Williams said that Friday was already planned to be a slower day for the festival because Barnesville High School’s football team had an away game in Shadyside. Festival organizers assumed that the festival would have lower attendance for the day, but he believed the rain could potentially affect the turnout. He was hopeful that it wouldn’t deter too many people.

“Hopefully it clears out, but this is a big thing for people in Barnesville. It’s like a homecoming of sorts,” Williams said. “There will still be a lot of people that come out tonight. They may not stay for too long, but they’ll come down to get their grub on.”

He added that even with the inclement weather there were still several bands playing throughout the night.

Although the weather was not ideal, the festival provides several indoor activities throughout the entire weekend. One of the indoor activities is the Pumpkin Patch craft and vendor show. Located in Barnesville Elementary School’s gymnasium, the Pumpkin Patch serves as a place for festival attendees to take a break from the rain and dry off while purchasing a wide variety of items. Over 30 local vendors offer everything from clothes and candles to on-site personal engravings and everything in between.

“Every year we try to get something different at every table. We have everything from woodworking to beadwork, pet accessories, baked goods and shirts. There’s somebody here that engraves on the spot. You can get a necklace made, there’s a candle carver, a lot of Christmas stuff like wreaths and different sensory toys for kids,” Pumpkin Patch Chairwoman Emily Butler said.

Butler’s been involved in the Pumpkin Patch for six years. For many years leading up to her becoming the chair of the Pumpkin Patch, she longed to join the craft and vendor show but due to the high volume of interested vendors, she said the waiting list was incredibly long.

“I’ve always wanted to set up at the Pumpkin Patch, but there’s always been a long wait list. I was told that the person that was in charge was stepping down, so I thought that was my way of getting in and now here we are,” Butler said.

Her business, Auntie Em’s Creations, is a custom design print shop with the designs being done by sublimation or vinyl printing.

“Our location is perfect for a rainy day because everybody wants to come inside and be out of the rain,” she said.

Another vendor and craft show that was happening just outside of the main entrance of the Pumpkin Festival was the Barnesville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Pumpkin in the Ville. The vendors set up shop at the vacant Bohandy Building on Main Street, paying $100 apiece to sell their wares at the festival. All of the proceeds made off of the vendors table spaces will be going toward the chamber’s Christmas in the Park event.

Chamber Director Jill Hissom believes that the attendance was down for the second day, likely due to the rain. She added that although the attendance felt a little light for a Friday, she did notice people coming into the building to dry off and shop around with the 20 local vendors at the Pumpkin in the Ville event. Both the Pumpkin Patch and Pumpkin in the Ville Craft and Vendor Shows will be open until the end of the Pumpkin Festival on Sunday.