Pumpkins & Pippins Fall Festival 2026
Support Buttonwood Nature Center by bringing your family to a fall celebration of Pumpkins & Pippins!
Our sixth annual Pumpkins and Pippins fall festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 17 from noon to 4 p.m.
Location is Pine Hill Recreation Area, 12684 Mentzer Gap Road, Waynesboro, PA.
A fundraiser for Buttonwood, the festival includes a full slate of activities and fun for all ages, including a ‘kid zone’ with yard games, a StoryWalk® hike & activity, a photo stand and more.
Details are still being confirmed but last year’s festival included Pony rides for kids from Serendipity Horse Meadows Farm provide a fun, memorable experience during the festival. In addition, craft vendors offer a variety of wares.
Sugar Hollow Farm Alpacas will be on site during the festival with several alpacas for visiting. To be confirmed.
“We also have a pie walk, a pumpkin patch, and a decorated pumpkin contest,” said Jessica Watson, Buttonwood’s assistant director and event organizer. “We invite everyone to support Buttonwood Nature Center by bringing your family to a fall celebration of Pumpkins & Pippins.”
A star attraction is the ever-popular trebuchet pumpkin launcher, which will run throughout the day sending pumpkins flying through the sky. Trebuchets are giant catapult devices that originated in medieval times.
“Our famous trebuchet was built by volunteers who researched the devices thoroughly to create an authentic working model,” Watson said. “Our trebuchet hurls pumpkins, and it’s great fun to watch how far they fly.”
Check back for the flier on our annual DECORATED PUMPKIN CONTEST—You could WIN $100!
Live music is a festival mainstay. Enjoy the sound of Mountain Air, performing a mix of acoustic contemporary folk and pop music. To be confirmed.
The GRID (Grease, Rust, Iron & Dirt) Tractor Club from Quincy will bring antique tractors, and craft vendors offer a variety of wares. To be confirmed.
Vendors to be announced.
Those attending can buy lunch from food trucks on site. A bake sale offers a variety of homemade goodies for dessert.
Pumpkins and cider will be available for purchase.
Admission is by donation. We accept cash or check.
Sponsorship opportunities available!
Our 2025 sponsors:
Dave Shockey Auto: Kids Zone Sponsor
Linda Barkdoll/Ronnie Martin Realty: Raffle Sponsor
Specialty Granules, Inc. (SGI): Bake Sale Sponsor
Thanks to Denny and Kim Shockey for their pavilion rental support.
In-Kind Donations in 2025 — Pumpkins: Harlan Hess Farm; Straw: Jem Farms; Apples: Rhinehart Orchards; Apple Cider: Ivy Hill Farm
Further support by our Today’s Horizon Fund contributors: The Nora Roberts Foundation; the late Alma W. Oyer; Mary Marshall Buckey in memory of her parents, the late George and Marty Buckey; Marge Kiersz; Don Gibe and Nancy Erlanson; and the family of the late Carolyn Terry Eddy, with daughters Connie Fleagle & Kim Larkin.
This event is a fundraiser for Buttonwood Nature Center, a nonprofit organization.
