Turning Halloween Trouble Into Fun

Turning Halloween Trouble Into Fun

The mix of Halloween, a steep hill, pumpkins, and kids used to be a recipe for trouble in Vassar, Mich. (pop. 2,823). For the last seven years, however, the Great Pumpkin Roll has been nothing but fun for residents of this “if-you-can’t-beat-’em-join-’em” community.

The event got started after town officials tired of chasing pranksters, who for decades had a mischievous October tradition of hurling pumpkins down a big hill on M-15, the state highway that passes through Vassar.

While the tradition was fun for the tricksters, it resulted in traffic hazards, police patrol expenses, and the headache of cleaning up the slimy pumpkin goo from the busy road.

Finally, in 1995, town officials tossed around the idea of making “pumpkin rolling” legal. Former Police Chief John Horwath ultimately declared: “I’m going to let ’em roll pumpkins this Halloween,” and Vassar’s Great Pumpkin Roll was born.

“I guess I’m part of the reason they started the event,” says Heidi Clinesmith, 32, who recalls filling vans with pumpkins and dumping them at the top of the hill during her high school days.

Now, Clinesmith and her husband, Chris, bring their two young sons, Jacob and Cody, to the Great Pumpkin Roll.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m., the Thursday before Halloween, when police close the road to traffic. Children and adults alike line up to pay 50 cents for each pumpkin and another 50 cents for the privilege of rolling a pumpkin down the hill, aiming for one of the large trash barrels placed on their sides.

Vassar Fire Department volunteers, who man the overturned barrels and award prizes, assume the most dangerous position at the bottom of the hill as they dodge bouncing pumpkins. Strategically placed snow fences prevent wayward pumpkins from traveling too far.

Miller’s Family Orchard supplies the pumpkins, and 2-liter bottles of pop (donated by the Vassar IGA and Central Shop-Rite grocery stores) and McDonald’s gift certificates are given as prizes to those who succeed in getting a pumpkin into a trash can.

Organized by Officer Dave Manier of the Vassar Police Department, the Great Pumpkin Roll has attracted up to 2,000 participants in years past, and last year more than 500 hardy souls braved 60-mph wind gusts and nearly freezing temperatures to join in the fun.

During the event, refreshment and commemorative pumpkin hats are sold and the Vassar Junior High School band provides musical entertainment.

At 7:30 p.m. the pumpkin rolling ends and the cleanup begins as Department of Public Works employees take over. Front-end loaders quickly scoop up the broken pumpkins and drop them into waiting city trucks. Load after load is hauled away to the dump. After all the large pieces are carted off, street sweepers travel up and down the hill picking up the remaining debris. Within 45 minutes, not a trace of the mess remains. The crowd disperses, sleepy youngsters are carried home, and the hill is re-opened to traffic.

Over the years, the Great Pumpkin Roll has raised more than $10,000 for the town’s Parks and Recreation Department, which provides sports and summer recreation programs for children, and some of the money helped build a multi-purpose pavilion in downtown Vassar.

Community involvement, police participation, and the solving of a long-standing problem proved to be a winning combination. In 1998, the Michigan Municipal League presented a first place Achievement Award to Brian Kischnick, Vassar’s city manager. “We were really pleased,” says Kischnick, “because our competition included some excellent community projects from small towns across the state.”

Invariably, the kids who come to the Great Pumpkin Roll sum it up in one word, “Fun.” Five-year-old Caleb Gorde says the best thing is “when I win a prize.” He admits he hasn’t won anything yet, but he doesn’t seem to mind. After all, there’s always next year.

Sandy Sheppard is a freelance writer in Vassar, Mich.

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