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Logan Square's PumpkinFest Party Displays Community Spirit

By Darryl Holliday | October 27, 2014 8:38am | Updated on October 27, 2014 9:40am
  Unity Park drew a diverse and celebratory gathering of families for an unseasonably warm Saturday.
PumpkinFest 2014
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LOGAN SQUARE — PumpkinFest 2014 was a major success by all accounts over the weekend as neighborhood officials, community volunteers and hundreds of Logan Square kids of all ages reveled in Halloween festivities.

The unseasonably warm Saturday drew an estimated crowd of about 2,000 residents who filled Unity Park to the brim throughout the day highlighting the neighborhood’s diversity and community spirit at the appropriately named playlot, 2636 N. Kimball Ave.

The success of the event was all “thanks to our hardworking volunteers who were kept busy by a steady stream of fest-goers on a glorious sunny and unseasonably balmy autumn day,” according to Unity Park Advisory Council member Robert Castillo.

The temperature hovered around 75 degrees — despite a historical average of around 55 degrees — as representatives from the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce, the Avondale Neighborhood Association, the Unity Park Advisory Council and others joined Ald. Rey Colon (35th) and residents from across the community for a day of music, food and celebration, with donations from local businesses.

“We are so fortunate to have such strong community support and look forward to another great Pumpkinfest next year,” Castillo said in an email thanking volunteers and attendees.

Around 800 pumpkins were promised ahead of the weekend event but, according to volunteer Bhaskar Manda, around 1,200 pumpkins ended up being delivered to Unity Park and handed out to families free of charge.

Take a look at photos from the free event to see a collection of costumes, pumpkin decorators and hundreds of pumpkins gathered for the park’s pumpkin patch — residents with pictures from the fest can share them on Facebook at UnityParkAC or on Twitter @UnityParkLS.

The park’s annual “Party for the Park” fundraiser will kick off at Weegee’s Lounge Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. to help bring more community events to Unity Park throughout the year. For $20, participants get food, a drink and a raffle entry with a chance to win prizes.

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