Show E EUREKA ul I 1 aa ITS PUMPKIN TIME fields ot of golden pumpkins are ripening near eureka III pumpkin center of the world which will stage its fifth annual pumpkin festival september 26 and 27 IN THESE UNITED STATES U free lim pies lure visitors to M A 0 festival features EUREKA ILL luscious golden brown pumpkin pies 46 just like mother used to bake more than 10 of them the m in fact will be given away to visitors as one of the major attractions of the fifth annual eureka pumpkin festival september 26 and 27 the free pies and other features of the celebration will be aimed to assure visitors that eureka is the pumpkin center of the world no town or hamlet in the world cans as much fancy pumpkin as eureka the town s canneries proud tully fully boast the canneries packed a sizable por per tion of the 1324 cases which comprised last year years s commercial pack of pumpkin in the united states the spirit of a century old cele bration pervades the annual pump km kin festival timed to coincide with the peak of the pumpkin harvest during the early the small community of walnut grove held an all day picnic called burgoo for more than a century the affair had lapsed but in 1939 the nearly for gotten picnic was revived in eu reka its modern counterpart being termed the pumpkin festival although the 1939 plans called for only a small local celebia tion the affair expanded rapidly into a two day program it has been maintained annually since then with exception of 0 the war years revived in 1946 the fes cival attracted more than 50 visitors inaugurating the 1947 festival will be the first bowl football game ever held in the state of illinois ampro pria tely dubbed the pumpkin bowl game the contest will pit eureka college grinders grid ders against the kirks v lie ile mo state teachers under the floodlights of eureka stadium honor guest of the celebration will be the screen star ronald rea gan eureka s home town boy and h s wife jane wyman also of the films illinois state officials also will participate in the various pro grams reagan an alumnus of eu reka schools will take part in dedi batory ceremonies to for a new school of speech building on the eureka campus I 1 roving that pumpkins represent the major interest not only for farmers and land canneries housewives of eureka and vicin ity will show their skill at mak ing pumpkin pies by competing in a pie baking contest while younger fry will vie in the tra dit ional pie eating contest selection of the pumpkin queen w 11 be another festival attraction miss patricia stevens model ng agency head will be among the judges A parade featuring decorated floats band concerts and other mu entertainment will help to round out a full program of events for the two day festival |