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5K, Pet Show At Pumpkin Festival

Photo by Alec Berry Mallory Leazendy and her dog Duke pose for a photo at the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival.

BARNESVILLE — Out behind the Watt Center on Saturday, Carl Kondrach announced to those who lingered , the winners of a run and walk 5K, and everyone else on the other side of town carried yard sticks and gawked at a 2,150 pound pumpkin.

Crowds gathered early at the 54th annual Barnesville Pumpkin Festival. Traffic was at a slow pace along North Chestnut Street by 9 a.m. with pedestrians weaving through the crowd. A carnival barker named Willy Lorich welcomed them in behind the sawhorses and food stands.

“Come on in here, winners,” he said. “Guaranteed prizes here today.”

Kondrach provided the placings of the 5K participants. He said Cedric Robinson, Peter Jaros and Cole Meyers placed first, second and third in the male runners category, while Sherri Martin, Felicity Smith and Brittnie Lockhart placed first, second and third in the female runners category.

Kondrach said there were 580 participants this year, as opposed to the 79 who ran and walked when he took over the race in 2010.

“It feels good to put on a good race,” he said. “People come from all over. They come from Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Washington and Zanesville.”

At the main stage, Sabrina Hickenbottom and her dog, Paulo, entertained a crowd with an array of tricks. Both were competing in the festival’s pet show. While other dogs seemed taken aback by performing in front of others, Paulo naturally followed Hickenbottom’s commands.

“We’ve been practicing,” she said. “He’s never had a chance to do this.”

Hickenbottom’s family adopted Paulo only a year ago because if not “there was a chance he’d have gone to the streets.” He seems right at home, now.

The festival pushed on through Saturday despite the unusual autumn heat.

Wheeling resident Matt Pounds said it was his first time attending the festival, and he came for the “King Pumpkin.” He took care to snap a few photos of it because it’s not something seen everyday.

Pounds said the gourd interests him because of what it must take to grow it in terms of fertilizer and water.

“You know they (the growers) must plan for this all year,” he said. “Something like this doesn’t just happen.”

The festival continues until 5 p.m. today.

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