Sass Family Farm hosts 22nd annual Pumpkinfest in Riverside

RIVERSIDE - Cars lined the roadway in Riverside on Saturday as locals stopped out to participate in Pumpkinfest at Sass Family Farm in Riverside.

Chris Sass, said his parents started the tradition 22 years ago on a whim. He said his dad planted a few pumpkins for their first grandchild and grew way more than they knew what to do with.

He said they put them on a hayrack and parked it by the road, advertising pumpkins for sale. Because no one else in the area was growing them at the time, neighbors began to stop and purchase them, prompting the Sass family to begin growing more pumpkins and start an annual event.

'All we had 22 years ago was pumpkins, some animals and a tiny hayrack ride,” he said, commenting this year the family planted 10 acres of pumpkins, gourds and squash.

He said although people come to focus on the pumpkins, the Sass family's focus is on the people. The family has even sent up a banquet room they rent out for parties and events to encourage people to come out and enjoy what they have to offer not just during the Pumpkinfest, but all the time.

'If they can make a memory here with their family, that's our goal,” he said.

The family adds new activities to the festival every year, such as a music and art section to promote creativity, pumpkin smashing and a haunted house.

Duston Sorrells, a family friend, helps decorate the haunted house with his family every year. Sass said the first step is cleaning and sanitizing the functioning barn before the Sorrells family steps in to decorate.

Sorrells said he enjoys getting creative and creating something new in every stall. Every year the family creates new scenes and tries to come up with new decor, which he likes best.

'I've been around here so long that it's a very exciting part when we get new (decorations) and see how they look. It's my favorite part,” he said.