One day toward the end of September, Tom and I took Mom and Dad to see the Pumpkin People in Ashland, Ohio.  I had seen some pictures in the Roadside America group on Facebook.  Ashland is only a short drive from Mansfield, and Mom and Dad could enjoy seeing the Pumpkin People from the car.  In other words, it would be a perfect outing.

The Pumpkin People arrived in Ashland, Ohio on September 13 and will be on display through the middle of November.  They were a gift from Dr. Steve and Peggy Yoder to the people of Ashland, in honor of Peggy’s mother who loved Halloween.  There are 10 of these figures along Main Street in Ashland.  You can walk the several blocks of Main Street to see them or drive along the road.  We ended up driving up and down Main Street several times to get a good view of all of them.

The Pumpkin People are human sized and are doing human things.  One of them reads a book close to the library.  Another is on her cell phone.  A dad pumpkin gives his son a ride on his shoulders.  There are two musicians, a bass player and a banjo player.  There is a construction worker enjoying his lunch.  Unlike some jack-o-lanterns, the Pumpkin People are fun and whimsical, not scary.

All of the Pumpkin People are on the sidewalk on Main Street except for the bass player.  He is set back in the pocket park.  You can see him from Main Street or get closer to him by going in a bank parking lot.  I got pictures of nine out of the ten figures.  I’m not sure what happened to the tenth.  I think we saw all of them, but traffic was too heavy to stop for a picture.

Ashland Main Street is constantly thinking of new ways to get people downtown.  Many of the old historic buildings have new life as restaurants or shops.  Having Ashland University next door helps the downtown stay vibrant.  If you haven’t been to Ashland for a while, you might want to drive through and check it out.  The Pumpkin People alone make it a fun place to visit in October.

If you need even more of a reason to go to Ashland, Grandpa’s Cheese Barn and Sweetie’s Chocolate Shop are at the Ashland exit of I-71.  They are always a fun stop and a great place to get some delicious goodies.