He said it’s “a unique opportunity to witness the impressive craftsmanship that will be on full display during the festival.”
The free event from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday will feature live pumpkin sculpting by artist William Wilson of Wicked Designz.
Operation Pumpkin opens at 11 a.m. and runs until 10 p.m. on Oct. 11 and 12. Hours Oct. 13 will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“The central focus of this festival continues to be the giant pumpkins and extremely talented sculptors that make this festival a unique and special experience for everyone that visits,” said Snyder.
Jodi Fritsch, marketing director for Operation Pumpkin, said the festival has lasted for more than a dozen years, and “to be able to last so long, I think it says a lot about what the community thinks about the festival and what it means to them.” Around 60,000 people will descend into downtown Hamilton over the course of the three-day event to experience “what we know is awesome.”