Pumpkin from Metro Creative WEB

Residents of Evans City consider the annual Oktoberfest an autumn staple.

This year, things will be a little different — but fall festivities and pumpkin-themed fun still will fill the borough next weekend.

The inaugural Evans City PumpkinFest will take place downtown Saturday, Sept. 24, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Organized by a committee of local businesses and residents, the festival will offer family-friendly activities, pumpkin-carving classes, carriage rides and more.

“The organizers of Oktoberfest had stepped down and no longer wanted to put on Oktoberfest because of how much work it was to put on the festival,” PumpkinFest organizer Molly DiFiore said. “There were a lot of ideas for the festival, and I started going to meetings and helping out.”

PumpkinFest shares many components with the original Oktoberfest, she added.

“I think it’s very similar to things that Oktoberfest had in the past ... we just wanted to make sure it was a little bit different, because we weren’t going to do it the same as Oktoberfest. So that’s where our pumpkin theme came from,” she said. “The car cruise and kids’ tractor pull has always been a staple for Oktoberfest.”

The car cruise will be from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 25, and the tractor pull will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24.

Pumpkin-themed festivities will round out the event this time around, DiFiore said. Free pumpkin-carving classes and demonstrations will take place throughout the weekend, and horse-drawn pumpkin carriage rides will travel through the town. A pumpkin-eating contest is sponsored by Coffee Brake. More than 80 craft vendors, along with local businesses, will set up at the event.

“It’s an interactive event for families and kids where you can pick out a pumpkin and learn how to expertly carve your pumpkin,” DiFiore said. “There’s a pumpkin-decorating contest for the smaller kids.”

Child-friendly activities were a must for the event, she added.

“I have kids, and I know that I want the festival to appeal to families, and that’s what Evans City wants, as well. They're trying to revive the downtown area,” she said.

Parking is available for the event at Boylan Funeral Home & Cremation Services and at the VFW field on North Washington Street, along with parking at EDCO Park.

The event is still looking for volunteer help with setup, and volunteers can find further information through Facebook or pumpkinfest.evanscity.us.