Thanksgiving Food Drive and Pumpkinfest 

Rotarians and Friends of the Shelburne Rotary Club had a busy Saturday (October 12) on the Thanksgiving weekend with the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive and Pumpkinfest .
 
Thanksgiving Food Drive
 
The day started off with the collection of food for the Shelburne Food Bank, a project that is run jointly by the Shelburne Rotary Club and the students at Centre Dufferin District High School (CDDHS). Earlier in the week, students from the high school distributed bags to households in Town. On Saturday morning, Rotarians, friends of Rotary, and high school students collected the bags full of food and other household necessities from front porches. A huge amount of food was collected and we thank everyone for their donations!
 
Pumpkinfest
 
After our successful food drive, the action moved to Natasha Paterson Memorial Park for the second annual Pumpkinfest. 
 
Following up on last year’s success, the number of inflatables was expanded and a vendor market – with 30 local vendors - was added. 
The event was a great success, with over 700 in attendance on a beautiful fall day enjoying games, inflatables, train rides, photo opportunities, music, a magician, dance presentations, face painting, food, and vendor market. 
 
As Jeremy, a Friend of Rotary, put it, “It’s the best event for families I’ve seen in Shelburne for a long time”.
 
The Pumpkinfest is one of Shelburne Rotary’s fundraisers in support of our charitable projects and has become a popular multi-generational family event. Thank you to our sponsors, donors, supporters, volunteers and attendees, your participation enables our success! 
 
Mark your calendars for the next Thanksgiving Food Drive and Pumpkinfest on October 11, 2025 ! 
 
 

Submitted by Caroline Mach 

Rotary Club of Shelburne