For the past 14 years, the Pony Express Pumpkinfest has claimed a special place in St. Joseph’s wide variety of yearly events. But sometimes, the organizers forget just how much it means to people.

Pumpkinfest Director of Development Cindy Daffron remembers some personal encounters that struck a cord, like when she gave a souvenir to a 6-year-old boy who saved up money to buy one for himself, only to misplace it. Or a father who showed his gratitude for the festival’s selling of inexpensive pumpkins so his family members could each have one of their own to carve before Halloween.

“Sometimes, we find that we do something and we don’t realize the benefit that it does to another family,” Daffron says. “We make smiles.”

That familiar facial expression will be created many times over by several thousand people who plan to roam the grounds of Pumpkinfest today, Oct. 10 and 11 at the Pony Express National Museum at Ninth and Penn streets.

Pumpkinfest was conceived with a specific purpose. Sure, it’s a way to raise funds so the Pony Express Museum can stay open in the winter months, but it’s a festival that quickly carved out its niche.

Trails West! is all about the arts. The Southside Fall Festival focuses on community pride. But when putting together Pumpkinfest year after year, organizers keep the smallest attendees in mind.

“When we go into it, we are thinking about children and families and providing as much free entertainment and crafts and things for the kids to do as we possibly can,” says Pumpkinfest Entertainment Chair Marcy Colscott. “That’s our focus. That’s the vision we have in front of us the whole time.”

When booking and scheduling entertainment, Pumpkinfest mixes it up, bringing back attractions and performers that they know children are looking forward to while trying out a few new performers and concepts.

They have no intentions of leaving out the carnival rides, craft tents, petting zoo and popular Hy-Vee Children’s and Family Parade. Daffron says families sometimes spend months planning the perfect costume to show off at the parade. There will be roving entertainers on the grounds, like local magician B.J. Talley and Up, Up and Away! — John the Balloon Man. And vendors will be offering festival staples like hamburgers and hot dogs, barbecue, cotton candy and kettle corn.

And of course, all eyes will be on what gave Pumpkinfest its name Friday night with the lighting of Pumpkin Mountain, which includes an endless number of carved and painted pumpkins.

“Everyone and their brother will be there for Pumpkin Mountain lighting on Friday night,” Colscott says. “The crowd just keeps growing every year and the mountain keeps growing every year.”

But kids will notice a few new additions to change things up. Camel rides will be an option in addition to the pony rides. Appearing on the Pumpkin Stage will be children’s entertainer Babaloo, kids’ comedian Kenny Ahrens and the magnificent skills of Chris (The Whip Guy), an entertainer from past Pumpkinfests.

While families may have seen magicians before, they’ll get even more intimate showcases with the festival’s new Magic Presentations and Workshops at the Magic Tent on Saturday afternoon, with three shows from magicianess Teresa T and hands-on classes from David Tower.

“This is a little bit closer experience,” Colscott says. “Having it in the tent, the audience will be much more engaged with the magicians.”

And a new attraction sponsored by Hy-Vee will be the Tekno Bubbles: The Original Patented Black Light Bubbles on Saturday night. It’s an attraction Colscott first witnessed on a trip to California. The tent shows off black light bubbles, and participants can also don blacklight makeup and jewelry to heighten the experience. Colscott says she thought it would be something that appealed to young people of all ages.

“Sometimes, we don’t have enough for those in-between kids, and I think they would like that part,” she says.

With Pumpkinfest’s wide array of activities, there’s plenty of enjoyment to be had for the children and the parents that bring them, which organizers continue to witness first-hand.

“I think the things that makes me know it’s worth it is the visual things that I see,” Colscott says. “It’s a generational kind of thing now, and that’s what makes it special for all of us.”

TONIGHT

Pumpkin stage

4:55 p.m.: Festival opening ceremonies with Will Stuck

5 p.m.: Fiddlers 3 — Fun Fiddlin’

5:30 p.m.: Magic Show: Part 1, with B.J. Talley

6 p.m.: Mysterious Musical Interlude featuring Adam Carter

6:30 p.m.: Story for the occasion from Will Stuck

7 p.m.: Magic Show: Part 2, with B.J. Talley

7:30 p.m.: Creepy Keyboard Tunes featuring Adam Carter

8 p.m.: Pumpkin Mountain Countdown with Will Stuck

Roving entertainment

5 to 7 p.m.: Up, Up & Away! — John the Balloon Man

5 to 8 p.m.: Wandering Magician B.J. Talley

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10

10 a.m.: Parade registration

11 a.m.: Hy-Vee Children’s and Family Parade

11:30 a.m.: Parade Awards (on Stage)

Pumpkin stage

11:30 a.m.: Costume Parade Awards with Will Stuck

noon: Children’s entertainer Babaloo

12:30 p.m.: Comedian Kenny Ahrens

1 p.m.: Suzuki Kids (violinists)

1:30 p.m.: Chris (The Whip Guy)

2 p.m: Children’s entertainer Babaloo

2:30 p.m.: Comedian Kenny Ahrens

3 p.m.: Dancing in Grace

3:30 p.m. Storyteller Will Stuck

4 p.m.: Children’s entertainer Babaloo

4:30 p.m.: Chris (The Whip Guy)

5:30 p.m.: Comedian Kenny Ahrens

6 p.m.: Live music from The Motors

Special Entertainment

6 to 9 p.m.: St. Joseph Hy-Vee

Store Presents: Tekno Bubbles: The Original Patented Blacklight Bubbles, located in the Girl Scout Tent on the east side of Patee Park (by gazebo)

Noon to 5 p.m.: Magic Presentations and Magic Workshops with three magic shows by Magicianess Teresa T and three magic classes by David Tower

Located in the Magic Tent.

Roving Entertainment

10 a.m to 7 p.m.: Chris (The Whip

Guy)

1 to 5 p.m.: Up, Up & Away! — John the Balloon Man.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11

noon: Children’s entertainer Babaloo

12:30 p.m.: Comedian Kenny Ahrens

1 p.m.: Storyteller Will Stuck

1:30 p.m.: Professor Farquar (Entertainer)

2 p.m.: Children’s entertainer Babaloo

2:30 p.m.: Comedian Kenny Ahrens

3 p.m.: Storyteller Will Stuck

3:30 p.m.: Professor Farquar (Entertainer)

4 p.m.: Children’s entertainer Babaloo

4:30 p.m.: Comedian Kenny Ahrens

5 p.m.: Storyteller Will Stuck

Roving Entertainment

noon to 1:30 p.m.: Up, Up & Away — John the Balloon Man

2 to 3:30 p.m.: Professor Farquar (Entertainer)

4 to 5 p.m.: Polecat Annie

For more information, call the Pony Express Museum at 279-5059 or go to www.ponyexpress.org.