The Event 

Come to Crete's Great Pumpkin Festival hosted by the Crete Chamber of Commerce on Sunday, October 8th, 2017 from 12pm-5pm on Main Street in downtown Crete, Nebraska. It will be a day full of autumn fun! From hayrack rides to carnival games, a food court to the Great Pumpkin Giveaway, it will be a day full of entertainment, food, games, and fun the whole family will enjoy! The Crete Chamber of Commerce hopes to see you on Sunday, October 7th, 2018 from 12pm-5pm at Crete's Great Pu​mpkin Festival.

Featured Activities at the 2017 festival: Hayrack rides, Craft Show & Farmer's Market, Horn T Zoo Petting Zoo sponsored by Nestle Purina, Crete True Value Zipline & Bouncy Houses, Carnival Games, Pinnacle Banks' Great Pumpkin Competition, Food Court, Crete Fire Department Pumpkin Drop, Union Bank & Trust's Scarecrow Competition, Live Entertainment, Foodmart's Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest, Festival Piñata, The Great Pumpkin Giveaway and much more! It is definitely an event that you don't want to miss!

Winners of the Scarecrow and Pumpkin Competitions can earn CRETE CASH!

For more information about the festival or to become more involved, visit cretepumpkinfest.com or contact Kayleigh Schadwinkel at cretechamber@gmail.com.

Mark your calendars for October 7th, 2018, it will definitely be a GREAT day for autumn filled fun that the whole family will not want to miss! 

What to bring:

On Sunday, October 7th, 2018, for Crete’s Great Pumpkin Festival, please have cash or a check for the the event or go to the ATM at Pinnacle Bank, Great Western Bank, or City Band & Trust to withdraw cash for the event. There will be various food court vendors, as well as see all the arts and crafts at the farmers market and craft show. 

The Chamber is proud to have over 40 businesses, organizations, and groups that will be hosting a carnival game at their booth. Individuals can purchase carnival tickets at the event: $5 for 10 tickets, $10 for 20 tickets, and $20 for 40 tickets to play the various carnival games. Each ticket is $0.50. 

Also, individuals can purchase a pumpkin voucher for $5 to be able to redeem it for a pumpkin at the event. These vouchers can also be pre-purchased at the Chamber Office or purchased at one of the Information Stations at the event. Information Stations will be located at 12th and Linden by Crete News, as well as the Shopko parking lot.

Location

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Crete's Great Pumpkin Festival is located in downtown Crete. The festival will stretch from 9th Street to 13th Street on Main Avenue.

Community Pumpkin Patch is located at Old Mill Park. Old Mill Park is located on 3rd and Norman.   

Crete's Great Pumpkin Festival Growing Competition Judging is located at Crete City Park on the day of the event. Crete City Park is located on 12th and Kingwood.



Want to Join a Pumpkin Growing Team?

Be a participant in Crete's Great Pumpkin Festival today by being on a Pumpkin Growing Team! The Great Pumpkin Festival is the first weekend in October, which means pumpkins need to be planted within the first few weeks of June to be ready for the festivities. Information about growing teams along with some pumpkin growing packet have been distributed to various businesses in the Crete Community. Last year's Pumpkin Growing Team winner of the most pumpkins donated was: Crete True Value.  
Wanted Pumpkin Growers: 
  • SIGN UP to be a pumpkin grower!
  • Please take a package of FREE seeds and plant them by June 1st 
  • All we ask is that you SHARE a portion of your produce for the Great Pumpkin Giveaway!
  • We'll even PICK them up during the Great Pumpkin Blitz!
  • Please TELL us who you are by leaving a Name, Phone # and Email at your pumpkin growing team sponsor!
  • Business or individual with the largest amount of pumpkins donated will WIN Crete Cash during the Great Pumpkin Festival Pumpkin Growing Contest! 
FREE pumpkin seeds provided by the Crete Chamber of Commerce are available at the following locations: Crete Ace Hardware, Orscheln Farm & Home, Crete Lumber and Farm Supply, and Crete Public Library.

For more information on how to be on a pumpkin growing team, please contact Kayleigh Schadwinkel at cretechamber@gmail.com.

Want to
​Become a Festival Sponsor?

WANT TO BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN CRETE'S GREAT PUMPKIN FESTIVAL? BECOME A FESTIVAL SPONSOR TODAY! Crete's Great Pumpkin Festival provides numerous opportunity for local businesses and organizations to get involved in the festival. Through the purchases of pumpkin vouchers to hand out to children at the event to be able to go home with a pumpkin, promoting the festival through promotional coloring sheets and much more, there are plenty of marketing benefits and opportunities with becoming a festival sponsor. More information on how to become a festival sponsor will follow. 

Current Events:

Czech Days Parade PARTICIPATION

On Sunday, August 9th, 2016, some members of the Crete Commerce of Chamber and  Crete's Great Pumpkin Festival Steering Committee with the assistance of POYDS Dance Company, LLC went to Wilber, NE to partake in a parade during their Czech Days festivities.  Sprout, the festival mascot, was excited to ride on the float during the parade.  Bring the kids to come meet him at Crete's Great Pumpkin Festival scheduled for Sunday, October 2nd.

ROTARY CLUB PLANTS PUMPKIN PATCH FOR CRETE'S GREAT PUMPKIN FESTIVAL

Planting the Great Pumpkin Patch at Old Mill Park 

On Wednesday, May 18th, 2016, Crete Rotary came to Old Mill Park to work the ground and plant the community pumpkin patch for Crete's Great Pumpkin Festival scheduled for Sunday, October 2nd. The community pumpkin patch is managed by Russ Sears. You can subscribe and receive updates of the pumpkin patch's growth on the Great Pumpkin Patch Watch. To learn more about how to subscribe for the "Great Pumpkin Patch Watch" tab.  

Contact Us

To learn more about being a volunteer for Crete's Great Pumpkin Festival or to adopt a pumpkin for the planting event, please email us your questions or concerns or you can follow us via Facebook to see what's happening with the local pumpkin patch.

Sign Up