Gwynne Pumpkin Festival supports local charter school
Published 6:00 am Wednesday, September 16, 2026
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More than just a fun, family-friendly community event to celebrate the harvest, the annual Gwynne Valley Pumpkin Festival is an important part of investing in education and future growth.
Now it its fourth year, the festival is taking place Saturday, Sept. 26 from 2 to 8 p.m. at GVRA. Admission is free.
The fundraiser is sponsored by the Gwynne Legacy Foundation (GLF) in support of the Gwynne Valley Rural Academy (GVRA).
The festival began in 2023 when a local farmer’s wife had a bumper crop of pumpkins and decided to use that bounty to raise funds to help the Gwynne Valley Rural Education Association apply to start a charter school, GVRA.
“GVRA is growing, and as it grows, so does the need for donations and fundraising,” said Dallas Lofgren, GLF chairperson.
Also a frequent volunteer, Lofren is known as “Grandma Dallas” around the school and she runs the sustainable living program.
The response to the first pumpkin festival was very positive, raising $29,000 that first year alone.
Since then, festival has consistently raised in the range of $25,00 to $30,000, according to Lofgren, adding they’re hoping to bring in “quite a bit more” this year.
“It’s very popular. Very well-attended. It grows every year … kind of like our school attendance.”
While no longer the school’s only fundraiser, it’s still a primary one each year.
The school is right on track for its five-year growth plan, Lofgren said.
The academy added Grade 11 at the start of this school year, and will be adding Grade 12 next year.
Funds raised from the pumpkin festival in 2025 allowed the school to lease and brand new bus.
Priorities this year continue to be busing, as well as the purchase of a free-standing commercial kitchen unit for the modular campus, Lofgren explained.
Planned for the third year, construction for a greenhouse has begun right on time, with the ground now being prepared.
Lofgren noted guests at the pumpkin festival will notice construction happening in the area, as the greenhouse starts to take shape.
“It’s very exciting,” she said, adding once the greenhouse is complete, the school will utilize it for year-round sustainable living programming.
The 2026 pumpkin festival will include a vendor market, student market, barbecue concession, pie by the slice sales, a petting zoo, various games and activities, a photo booth, live and silent auctions and fireworks to finish off the night.
The petting zoo is “back by popular demand,” Lofgren said.
All the pies are homemade and donated by locals.
This year, the students grew potatoes, carrots, onions and pumpkins in the school garden, which will be on sale during the festival.
‘It was a chilly year with weather but the students will be harvesting this week,” she said.
The pumpkins for the festival are donated from several local places, although Lofgren said she’s not sure how many they will get this year, as pumpkins requite heat and sunshine to grow well.
If the weather is cool, the concession will be serving up hot chocolate and cider as well, Lofgren noted.
The pumpkin weigh-in will be at 4:30 p.m. Contestants need to bring their pumpkins before 2:30 p.m.
There will also be a car show and shine during the festival. There will be people’s choice awards and prizes.
Email lawrence.gvrea.protonmail.com to register, free of charge.
Festival goers should note it’s a cash-only event. If needed, e-transfers will be accepted onsite to gwynnelegacy@gmail.com.
For more information, visit ‘Annual Gwynne Pumpkin Festival’ on Facebook.