by Edith Cody-Rice
Mississippi Mills has a talent for creating alluring rituals which reinforce our community. Think Light Up the Night in Almonte, the night markets, the summer concerts and festivals, the crocheted poppies dotting the town on Remembrance Day, and one of the most magical is the Pumpkin Promenade on the Alameda the night after Halloween.
Instigated four years ago by organizer Monika Seiler, the pumpkin display gives all those carefuly carved Halloween pumpkins a second life by inviting townspeople to bring their pumpkins to the Alameda to line the path for a ghostly festival, an invitation to people to meet at dusk and into the night, wander the path, greet each other while marvelling at the artistry and the effect of candle lit pumpkins lining the path. This year, the event was held on Saturday evening. Refreshments were served: Monika’s mother Renate Seiler passed out baked beans while the Almonte Cookbook Club operated a stand of dessert treats. The food was provided for a donation. Monika told the Millstone ” I remember being a kid on my dad’s shoulders watching the twinkle fairies spread their magic up Mill Street during Light up the Night in the early 90’s. Thirty years later, I wanted to dedicate my time towards continuing the magic in a new Mississippi Mills tradition: the Pumpkin Prom. This year, we had 271 pumpkins on display, and the event raised $600 in donations towards the Mississippi Mills Youth Centre. Community is as important as it was back then, and I am lucky to live in a town that prioritizes that.”
And music filled the autumn air
It is a joyful and spooky event to mark the passing of fall.
