Methodist Church plans Pumpkin Fest

Anyone who likes to watch things get hurled, pulverized and outright destroyed take note: The first annual Pumpkin Fest will take place at Coeur d’Alene’s Community United Methodist Church Sunday at 2 p.m.

Beginning in the afternoon on the church’s lawn, at 1470 W. Hanley on the corner of Hanley and Ramsey, hours of pumpkin-themed events will take place as community participants can put those old Halloween pumpkins to good use instead of ending their short, but decorative, lives strewn across someone’s yard or in the street. The day will commence with pumpkin bowling, rolling, tossing and squishing and will conclude with the catapulting of the hollowed, orange projectiles toward an as-yet undetermined lawn target and, finally, scraped-up and sent off for pig feed.

“This is brand new for us here,” said Ann Lindahl, co-chair of Community United Methodist Church’s special events committee. “The idea was ‘What else do you do with an old pumpkin?’ You don’t find many people who don’t want to see something go squish.”

That far-flung idea came about from Heather Seman, the church’s new pastor, and the community-minded event that her former church in Washington hosted for several years.

In Washington “people seemed to like it,” Seman said. “It became sort of a community event.”

The event, which will also provide refreshments and snacks, is free and open to the public. There will be games for children in preschool and up.

“Why not just have a good time, launch them and watch them go splat?” Seman said.

For more information, call Community United Methodist Church at 765-8800.