On Friday, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership will host its eighth annual Pumpkinpalooza in downtown Starkville.
The event, which has become a fall mainstay for the organization, will kick off at 6 p.m. and last until about 8 p.m. Partnership Tourism Director Jennifer Prather said downtown merchants will offer trick-or-treating for kids, and there will be jumpers, face-painting and haunted shuttles, sponsored by Mississippi State University’s transportation office.
“This event really started as a retail promotion event,” Prather said. “We block off Main Street and bring everyone downtown to show what Main Street has to offer. It’s grown into a highly-anticipated event that people plan their football trips around, and it’s a really unique experience while they’re in town.”
In past years, GSDP has partnered with MSU’s athletic department to host “Maroon Madness,” an annual event to celebrate the start of the basketball season, downtown. This year, MSU will host Maroon Madness at 8:30 p.m. at the Humphrey Coliseum. However, Prather said Pumpkinpalooza will start with a MSU pep rally featuring the women’s basketball team.
People love to come to the event, and it’s even more exciting when they have access to the team like they do when the women’s team comes downtown,” Prather said. “This will give that extra access for people who might not make it with their kids to the event at 8:30. It also gives athletics the opportunity to promote that event as well.”
This year’s Pumpkinpalooza will also be the first major event for new Special Events and Projects Coordinator Paige Watson. The Partnership named Watson to the position in late September.
Watson said the event will feature a pumpkin patch in the middle of Main Street where people can purchase and paint pumpkins. She said mums will also be available for purchase.
The Partnership will close off Main Street from Jackson Street to Washington Street for the event.
Watson said she’s ready for the event, and is looking forward to hearing feedback.
“I’m really excited and ready for it to get started,” Watson said. “As it’s my first event, I’m just kind of looking forward to seeing everyone come to Starkville. I think it’s a really unique holiday event that’s family-oriented and maybe something that not a lot of small towns offer for their residents.”
Prather, who served as the Partnership’s special events and projects coordinator until she was named tourism director earlier this year, said she’s looking forward to seeing Watson take the reins.
“It’s been really exciting to work through the details with her,” Prather said. “I think it’s going to be a great start to a long line of successful event she’ll oversee for the Partnership.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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