David LaCasse, President of the Friends of Congress Square Park, Addresses the Crowd at a Press Conference Earlier This Year.

Tim & Jill McMahon Pictured with Their Children Henry & Finn. Tim Carved the Award Winning Adult Punpkin – Missing from the Photo.

Cassidy Streeter, 12, Took First Place with Her Cat Pumpkin in the Children’s Division.

Carol McCracken  (Post # 2,454)

In his opening remarks to the two hundred or more gathered for the first Pumpkin Carving contest and the last scheduled event of the first season at Congress Square Park, David LaCasse, president of the Friends of Congress Square Park, thanked everyone involved for a very successful season.  Plans are already underway for next year’s season.

Record keeping has been an important part of the administrative work because this information has to be filed with Southwest, who provided the grant to make it happen.

Jesse Bania and His Rescued Dog, Cameron, & His Family Are New Residents of Parkside.

LaCasse, who spends about twenty (20) hours a week on the project, said there were 122 events held at the Park between May and October.  There were 262 different artists and performers, 60 volunteers and 18,000 visitors to the Park according to an extensive survey taken by volunteers.

Attendees were invited to participate in a pumpkin carving contest with awards given out to the winners.  Winners in both categories, children and adult, were decided by a verbal vote of the audience.  Winning in the children’s division was Cassidy Streeter, 12.  Her pumpkin was decorated to look like a cat – like per own cat, Jinxy.  She won a gift certificate to  Treehouse Toys in the Old Port. (See above right photo.)  Taking first place in the adult divison was the Tim McMahon Family. (See top right photo.) Tim won a prize from Allagash Brewery.

Check CongressSquarePark.org for details of upcoming winter activities including possibly an ice sculpture event.

Joan Grant and Christine Hey Show Off the Pumpkins They Carved.