Main Street becomes pedestrian mall with orange hues

by charlie mathews
Herald Times Reporter

MISHICOT — From bowling to carving to baking, Saturday's 22nd Annual Pumpkinfest had a little something for everyone who likes the orange-colored cousins of gourds and squash.

"My first strike of the day," exclaimed David Koch who rolled a small pumpkin down the street, knocking over 10 pins, in a bowling contest at the fest sponsored by the village of Mishicot and the Mishicot Area Growth & Improvement Committee.

The morning was cool and cloudy, but the sun burst through, the wind died down and it was a gorgeous fall afternoon in the village.

"I'm in charge of the snow, wind and rain, and I did my job," said Evie Sustman, one of the organizers, taking delight in the pleasant weather.

"That's the third straight year of winning the grand championship," Sustman said of Shelly Harms' pumpkin pie, while Joann Kliment took home two first-place prizes for her pumpkin bundt cake with glaze and her pumpkin pecan cake roll.

St. Nazianz's Jerry Rathsack didn't have enough time so he carved likenesses of Snow White and five dwarfs, not seven, which he is donating to St. Gregory's pre-school in his home village.

Jack Gadzala, a Coldstone Creamery franchisee, was selling pumpkin ice cream; his Sheboygan store also has pumpkin pies and cupcakes.

Not everything was related to the squash-like fruit that can weigh more than 1,000 pounds.

A member of the Potawatomi tribe, Christine Metzger, drove three hours from Wilson, Mich., in the "UP" to sell Indian fry bread.

"It feels like regular hair," said Liam Stodola, 6, of Whitelaw, as he stroked an alpaca owned by Marilyn Nate, whose U.S. True Color Alpaca Farm is in Reedsville.

The Wernecke twins of Mishicot, Kendra and Colton, 11, and three of their friends, were more interested in getting scared and screaming as they went through the Nightmare on Main haunted building of Ryan Wiegert.

They got their wish with chainsaw-wielding clowns and grim reapers providing fun fright.

Other events at Pumpkinfest included a parade, pancake breakfast, craft show, Native American dancers, children's costume contest, horse-drawn wagon rides and a bonfire at dusk.

Online: www.Mishicot.org