Patch is back: Catholic school prepares its annual pumpkins, fun events
Published 7:00 am Thursday, October 1, 2015
PREPPING FOR PATCH: Staff at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School already set up a tent and tables in preparation for the pumpkin patch. Photo by Ashley Collins.
With the arrival of fall, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School is gearing up for their annual pumpkin patch, which runs all month.
Angela Ingram, the school’s principal, said this marks the fifth year that they are providing an array of pumpkins ready for carving and family-friendly activities throughout October.
“This event is always so much fun. We like hosting something like this that’s local rather than families going out of town,” Ingram said.
The pumpkins, which vary in size, are set to arrive at the school this Saturday and will be available for purchase from Monday through Oct. 31.
Bryan Massery has coordinated the event for the past couple of years. He said they plan to offer around 2,000 pumpkins, with costs ranging from 50 cents to $50, depending on their size.
Last year, they raised $4,000 during the month-long event. All proceeds are donated to the school, which will be used to enhance the school’s playground and outdoor areas, Ingram said.
The pumpkin patch will be open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. During the month-long event, families will be able to enjoy attractions such as cornhole, face painting, a hay pyramid and free movie screenings, which will take place every Friday night in October, including Oct. 31.
On Halloween, families can opt to trunk-or-treat at the school, a twist on the classic trick-or-treat, where children solicit candy from car trunks instead of households, Massery said.
“The thing I always appreciate with this event is the excitement and joy it brings to people. They see the pumpkins out there and get excited because this welcomes in a cooler time,” Massery said.
He also said that this event is essentially free for families, for the exception of the pumpkins—cash and credit cards will be acceptable forms of payment.
Currently, the school is seeking volunteers to help during the month-long event, including unloading the pumpkins from a truck this Saturday, Ingram said.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School is located at 1000 Goodyear Blvd.
For more information, call school staff at 601-799-0860 or visit their Facebook page.
RECESS TIME: Preschoolers at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School play at the playground. Some of the proceeds from the pumpkin patch will go towards adding new features to the playground. Photo by Ashley Collins.
