Bessemer Pumpkinfest

Bessemer's 34th annual Pumpkin Festival is scheduled for September 27 through September 30, 2012. Make your plans now to attend. Hope to see you there.

Welcome to the 33rd Annual Bessemer Pumpkin Festival. The Bessemer Chamber of Commerce is once again proud to sponsor this year's event. You will find that there is something for everyone. Please refer to the schedule of events for a complete list of activities. We still finalizing a few events so please check back often.

Due to the earlier than usual scheduling of Bayfield's Apple Festival, Bessemer's 2011 Pumpkin Festival will be held from September 30 through October 2. We are still finalizing the event schedule so please periodically check back for updated information.

Festivities begin on Thursday, September 29, with the Chamber's "Business After 5" social at

the Pit Stop bar.

Again this year, Boulder Creek Golf Club will host a chicken wing and ribs dinner and bonfire from 5 - 8 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday night, a junior high dance will be held from 8 - 11 p.m. at the City Hall Auditorium. Refreshments will be available.

From Friday through Sunday, the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) will set up camp in the lot next to the Couch Potato. The SCA is an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th century Europe. Members of the Ironwood based "Village of Hvítskógar" will be dressed in clothing typical of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Come and see their jewelry makers and craftsmen create beautiful works of art, test your skills at medieval games and witness the thrill of combat as their armored and rapier fighters take to the field! Come help us bring the middle ages to life! View them on YouTube.

To compliment the SCA, trebuchet (like a catapult) demonstrations will be held at E.J Oas' Field on Saturday & Sunday, October 1-2, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. To keep with the festival's theme, pumpkins will be hurled at a make-shift castle. Test your skills as you score points for hitting the target. We've been told the trebuchet will throw the pumpkins over 50 yards.

Two new events this year are the pumpkin pie eating contest and Round Robin Electronic Dart Tournament. Refer to the Contests page for more information.

All of your favorite events return as well. Geo-caching, "Bessemer Pumpkin Hunt, " returns for its third year. Entry forms can be picked up Thursday at the Bessemer BP gas station or you can find them here the day of the event. Click here for a copy of the rules and locations. We will also have the Scarecrow, Totem Pole, and Largest Pumpkin contests. The Poker Run begins Friday and runs through mid-night Saturday. Drawings will be held at the Pit Stop at midnight on both Friday and Saturday nights.

On Saturday, October 1, begin your day with a hearty Pumpkin Pancake Breakfast at the St. Sebastian School (regular pancakes are available too). The St. Sebastian Knights of Columbus will fire up the griddle from 7 a.m. until noon.

After breakfast, the entire family can spend the day downtown with special activities for kids (and adults who want to act like kids). Vendor and food booths will be lined up on Sophie Street from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Main Street activities include a costume kiddies parade, ventriloquist Dave Parker and Skippy performances, face painting, pumpkin bowling and a number of contests including pumpkin carving. Pumpkinfest T-shirts and sweatshirts can be purchased at our information booth, the Historical Society, or General Insurance Agency.

The Bessemer Historical Society will open its doors from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Stop by and see the many displays depicting Bessemer's history and heritage.

Our craft fair will be held at A.D. Johnston High School from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The gym will be filled with crafters showing their wares.

For the classic car and tractor enthusiasts, the Klassic Kruisers Car Club will have many of their classic and antique cars on display. Click here for their news release. And new this year, the Lake Superior Tired Iron Tractor Club will display their antique tractors in the BP parking lot. A tractor pull is scheduled for high-noon.

The Bessemer VFW will co-sponsor an open Horseshoe Tournament beginning at 1:00 p.m. The tournament is open to the public. Pumpkin Bingo will be played at City Hall in the DDA Meeting Room (1st floor) and the Pie Social will be held at the City Hall Auditorium. So after all that walking and shopping, stop by for some great deserts and conversation. The Gogebic Range Band and Washington Elementary School Choir will provide entertainment at the Pie Social. The Bake-Off is also back by popular demand. Unfortunately, the Chili Cook-off won't take place this year.

Dairy Queen is hosting a treasure hunt and helicopter rides will take off from Steiger's field.

To end the day, a Roast Beef/Rotisserie Chicken dinner will be held at the Bessemer VFW from 4-7 p.m.   Tickets are $10 each (under 10 - $5) and can be purchased at the door. The dinner is open to the public and takeout is available. Bluegrass favorite Up North Connection returns to provide entertainment. A silent auction will be held throughout the dinner.

On Sunday, October 2, we are excited to announce that Bessemer's very own Hank Thunander will close out Pumpkinfest with a free show at the Bessemer VFW from 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. Hank's extraordinary talent includes a number of ethnic themes, big band, polkas, old-time, country, 50's-60's-70's, standard, light rock, classical melodies, spiritual, patriotic and holiday tunes.

At 6:00 p.m., we will draw the 50/50 raffle winner.                                                                                                                                                                                 top