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| Pumpkins galore, handmade crafts featured at Minges Festival |
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HARRISON, Ohio — Policemen direct traffic as thousands of cars flood into the Minges Pumpkin Festival. “It’s just evolved and gotten out of hand,” said Gloria Minges with a smile.
The farmland is dotted with tents full of crafters. Local church groups and other organizations offer food for sale. Reenactors can be heard telling their stories at one end of the grounds. And there are pumpkins – lots of pumpkins. At the end of the two-day show, many of those vendors will sign a contract to reserve their space for the next year – the 2011 festival will be on Oct. 27.
The Minges family has farmed the land for four generations. Gloria’s husband John grew up in the farmhouse and Gloria has lived there since their marriage 53 years ago. They were in the produce business, retail and wholesale.
About 30 years ago, the Ohio State University (OSU) asked the family if they would host a farm tour. That was the start of the evolution.
“We did that for several years,” Gloria said. “We had so many people ask at that time – teachers and others – ‘Could we bring our class out to the farm?’”
Word got around until the month of October was filled with tours and farm visits. John planted a pumpkin patch so kids could pick a pumpkin and take it home. Guests had popcorn and apple cider at a log cabin on the property. There were hayrides.
“We went around and looked at other festivals and thought a festival would be a good way to promote our farm and the produce business,” Minges said.
They were particular about the kinds of crafters they allowed to take part in the festival. They wanted things that were basic to farm families – cider presses, broom making, lace making, sheep shearing.
Over time labor became a problem in the produce business and the Minges’ turned their produce fields into a golf course; nowadays a grower in Indiana raises their pumpkins. They leased the greenhouse business to someone else because there is not enough of the family to run it. But the family still puts on a fantastic pumpkin festival.
“The crafts that we have – they’re all homemade, high quality, it’s a juried craft show. We feel very proud of what we’ve done,” Minges said.
“Most of our craft people say this is the best show they have – that people buy here,” she said. “People call and ask if certain vendors will be there because they come and do their Christmas shopping. It’s busy weekend; we have wonderful people that help us.”
The majority of the food vendors are local organizations, church and school groups, the Kiwanis. They raise money for their various projects. Two local Boy Scout Troops take care of the gate and handling trash pickup. In turn, the Minges’ make a generous donation to the troops.
“When we think about how are we going to stop doing this?” Gloria said. “These people depend on this for their major fundraiser. So it keeps going.”
The entire family works together on the festival weekend: John and Gloria’s son Ed and his wife, Sharon, daughter and son-in-law Diane and Alan Trenz, and seven grandchildren.
“It’s a family operation,” Gloria said. “I don’t think we’ll ever be able to retire; when you’re in business for yourself, you just don’t.” |
| 10/27/2010 |
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