No wonder the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival is a favorite fall tradition for so many people!

Once again, as I have nearly every year since I became a journalist, I had the chance to cover the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off this year. The Wednesday evening event serves as the unofficial kickoff for the festivities.

This year was special because my husband, Mike, was able to join me. We arrived fairly early, when some of the “smaller” (300 pounds or so) pumpkins were being placed on the scale. I took a photo of the leader board before we walked off to explore the festival area.

Thanks to announcers Dean Wehr and John Rataiczak being broadcast over a very efficient PA system, I was able to keep tabs on what was happening in the contest simply by listening as we made our way through the downtown.

We were lucky that attorney Michael Shaheen and his wife Robyn were hosting an open house at his Barnesville office that evening. The hospitality that Shaheen Law Group shows with that event each year is second to none. Our stop there meant that we got to enjoy some delicious refreshments and some lively and interesting conversation with some of the many people who dropped by.

For the rest of the evening, we sort of grazed as we walked around. Mike’s favorite food stand is always the fried vegetable truck, so we bought a plate there that we were able to share as we strolled up and down Main Street and checked out what vendors were set up along the adjacent side streets.

We stopped back at the weigh-off so that I could get some photos of participants and the audience before dark. As I looked west from the corner of Main and Chestnut streets, watching a crane hoist the enormous pumpkins that were being hauled in, the historic buildings on either side of Main Street framed some pretty perfect photos.

All of the Pumpkin Festival Committee members and volunteers were friendly and helpful, rather than acting as if I were in their way (which I’m sure I was at least once or twice). But they welcomed me just like they welcomed all of those in the audience — with open arms.

Mike and I decided to look around a bit more while we waited for the weigh-off deadline to arrive so a winner could be declared. We looked at the wares various vendors had to show off, we made note of the additional food offerings that were available, and we ultimately ended up paying a visit to Susan Lapham, owner of Avenues and the Blue Moon Tavern. We dropped in at the tavern’s Beirgarten, where Deep Down Country provided live music to entertain the crowd.

At that point, we decided it was time for an actual meal, and Mike chose a vendor called Cate’s Food Truck. Based in Columbus, it specializes in Native American fry bread. That served as the base for Mike’s ultimate nachos and as the “bun” for my choice, the Navajo burger.

Mike made a good choice — the food was delicious.

We chose a couple of seats on a bench in front of a Main Street shop and dug in. By the time we were finished eating, there were just 15 minutes left in the weigh-off.

Ultimately, Bill Neptune of New Concord, Ohio, was declared the winner for the fifth time, after his 1,952-pound pumpkin was crowned king.

I returned to the festival on Friday to take in the sights ad sounds and to document the scene with some photographs. Once again, I found friendly people at every turn, and everyone around me seemed to be having a great time.

If you haven’t been to the festival this year, make time to drive to Barnesville. I promise it will be well worth your trip. The festival continues through Sunday.