We already know that Port Elgin’s Pumpkinfest has been recognized as one of the leading events in festivals in Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals.
Now organizers can add two more awards — Best Community Involvement and Best Virtual Campaign.
Pumpkinfest spokesperson Lisa Irwin says the awards were announced at the President’s Gala at the Festivals and Events Ontario conference in Ottawa in March.
Irwin says the community involvement award is the second year in a row it has been won by Pumpkinfest.
She says really, the whole community is a supporter of the event, from the over 240 volunteers who make it happen to the 39 different non-profit organizations that use the event as a fundraiser.
Irwin says the groups collected close to 40 thousand dollars for their efforts.
She says then when you add the business community that decorates their stores and the thousands of people who come to visit, Pumpkinfest really is a community event.
Irwin says even private homes in the area are decorated to help celebrate the weekend.
The Best Virtual Campaign award came for the event’s website at www.pumpkinfest.org that earned over three million hits last year.
A flash player has been created and this tool has helped Patches come to life on the homepage, but that isn’t where the “face-lift” ends.
Colour schemes have changed and animations on every page bring out the “Family Fun for Everyone” motto.
The social networking tool, Facebook, has been added to the festival’s virtual campaign with both a Group Page and a Fan Page.
These pages allow the festival to update “friends” and “fans” on news, upcoming events, volunteer opportunities and special activities.
Irwin says they’re well into planning for this year’s edition of Pumpkinfest.
She says they’re going to have something called “Challenge the Pros” and there will be various contests from cooking to golf.
Once a winner is declared, that person will be able to challenge the pro that will be brought to the festival.