We hope you're as ready for some fun as we are. The Great Painted Pumpkin Festival – an annual fundraiser benefiting nonprofits in Acadiana, hosted by Latter & Blum – is almost here and will take place again this year with safety precautions in place due to the pandemic. Pumpkins in the Parc will take place at Parc International in Downtown Lafayette beginning with the Great Painted Pumpkin Festival at 3 pm on Saturday, October 24, and will be followed by a showing of “Jurassic Park” for Downtown Lafayette’s Movies in the Parc series presented by Lafayette Kiwanis. Participants must wear masks and practice social distancing. Children under the age of eight are encouraged to wear a mask.

Separate Eventbrite registrations must be made:

$5 to enter the Painted Pumpkin competition.

$5 to paint a pumpkin on site (includes pumpkin and supplies)

$5 to enter Parc International for Jurrasic Park.

The Painted Pumpkin Festival team will provide paint, markers, other decorating materials, and pumpkins to attendees. Adults and children will have fun testing their creative abilities while benefiting a variety of Acadiana area nonprofits. A panel of judges will select first, second, and third place winners in a variety of categories. The painted pumpkin contest will award cash prizes to winners.

Due to current state mandates on outdoor event capacity, everyone must pre-register to attend. All registered attendees can bring a painted pumpkin to enter into the pumpkin-judging contest or paint a pumpkin on site.

The Great Painted Pumpkin Festival, a signature event of Latter & Blum, is supported by leading sponsorship and support from The Haynie Family Foundation, Louisiana Cardiovascular & Limb Salvage, Performing Arts Serving Acadiana (PASA) and Downtown Lafayette Unlimited (DLU).

Questions? Call Latter & Blum at 337 233-9700.

How to Paint a Pumpkin First, plan your pumpkin. Create a design for your pumpkin using a marker, stencil or pattern you have made. Then, gather the supplies you’ll need. You will find them where craft supplies are sold: Hobby Lobby, Michael’s Arts & Crafts, and Joanne’s are a few such places in our area.:

Pumpkin of your choice, or pumpkins. Yes, you can create a pumpkin-scape!Damp paper towelA soft, dry clothA drop cloth, brown paper, etc. to protect your work surfaceA primer, such as GessoPaint brushes or cotton ballsSpongesMarkersAcrylic paintSpray-on sealant

Before painting your pumpkin, make sure to remove any dirt and grime with a damp paper towel. Then, dry it thoroughly with a soft, dry cloth. If you plan to paint your entire pumpkin, we suggest that you prime it with Gesso to prepare the surface of the pumpkin.

Next, paint your pumpkin with a solid color of acrylic paint if you want your background to be a color other than orange.

Then, trace designs on your pumpkin with a marker and a stencil, or use a pattern that you made yourself.

After that, paint in your designs with acrylic paint using paint brushes, sponges, or cotton balls.

Lastly, spray your pumpkin with a sealant to set your design once the paint dries.

For more detailed information and photos, log on to www.wikihow.com/Paint-a-Pumpkin.