Halloween fun rules Batavia at BatFest

When I was a kid, watermelon was an outside treat. On a sweltering day, we'd take a big slice and bite into the juicy red fruit filled with the dark brown seeds.

We couldn't swallow the seeds because we, impressionable youngsters, were told that the seeds would travel to our tummies and grow into big watermelons.

To a little kid, this was an image too difficult to imagine. The possibility that our tummies would explode from the humongous weight while the vine traveled throughout our innards and did irreversible damage, was too much to fathom.

Even though it wasn't considered polite, it was better to spit; and spit we did.

We made those seeds fly through the sky like a missile centered on a target. Sometimes, it would take every ounce of air within our bodies to force the tiny seed to defy gravity and fly through space.

By the time Halloween rolled around, the watermelons were out of season and we turned our attention to pumpkin carving. The idea of taking those seeds for spitting never occurred to us - maybe because of the sticky, stringy pumpkin guts that accompanied the seeds.

Batavia MainStreet thought it might be fun to take those seeds and give them a new life in a pumpkin seed spitting contest at BatFest.

"We'll probably get some MainStreet people together to clean out the pumpkins to get those seeds," said Joi Cuartero, MainStreet's Executive Director. "We'll also have a marshmallow shooting contest that lets people try and blow marshmallows out of PVC pipe."

Cuartero is very excited about this year's BatFest, hosting some new events and bringing back many of the popular old ones. BatFest takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, in downtown Batavia.

"Last year, Brian Eberle of Fallen Star Tattoos carved 25 3-D pumpkins for BatFest," said Cuartero. "They were amazing."

Eberle returns again and admits the pumpkin carving isn't an easy task.

"We often have late appointments and then start carving the pumpkins," he said. "Last year we were here until four in the morning carving them."

Eberle had a lot of fun doing it last year but found the carved pumpkins started to rot sooner than expected.

"This year, I am going to get some large fish tanks and try to submerge the pumpkins in a preservation liquid to make them last longer." he said.

I know all about pickled peppers, but these will be my first pickled pumpkins.

Eberle is the proud father of a 10-month-old baby, Silas. He looks forward to carving pumpkins with him someday. He even gave me some tips on carving 3-D pumpkins.

"You have to try and find thick-walled pumpkins and then draw the face or design on paper before carving," he said. "And always have plenty of toothpicks on hand, just in case."

The BatFest main stage will feature a pumpkin carving contest where artists compete against one another to create a carving in a specific time period.

There will also be a costume contest, sponsored by Music Matters. Jeff Matter, a percussionist and owner of Music Matters assured me that kids don't need to dress up as a drum set to win.

"Craig Foltos and I will emcee, but people from BATV will judge," he said.

Matter is planning a special event to correspond this year with BatFest. A fall festival is planned at his business, located in the old Louise White School.

"We're planning on having a petting zoo, arts and crafts, bounce house, live music, and train rides for all," he said. "We will also have a raffle for a month's worth of free lessons at Music Matters."

From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., kids are welcome to dress up and go trick-or-treating through downtown Batavia and in participating stores.

Bring your own pumpkin to enter the pumpkin rolling contest down Houston Avenue or buy one from Troop 6 Boy Scouts. Each roll is $1 and the farthest pumpkin will win the 50/50 raffle.

"The pumpkin roll contest is probably the best thing to see. It's so unique and a tradition we have here at BatFest," Cuartero said.

Troop 6 Boy Scouts are also selling hot dogs at the farmers market, where fall fruits will be sold marking the end of the market season. Oils, vinegars and popcorn will be sold as well.

BatFest stories and songs will be presented by the Batavia Public Library at 11:15 a.m. where Halloween stories and songs will be shared. Then at 11:45 a.m. the Halloween Parade will begin. Hosted by the Batavia Mothers' Club, all kids are welcome to walk in a short parade around town and show off their costumes.

Starting in the afternoon, tractor pulled hayrides will be given by the park in exchange for a canned food item or $1 per ride.

It is Matter's hope that more businesses will add special events during BatFest making it bigger each year.

"By having businesses and community organizations working together, we can create events where people will want to come out and have some fun in our downtown," Matter said.

For more information, visit downtownbatavia.com/batfest or call (630) 761-3528.

• Daily Herald intern Nikki McVicker contributed to this report.

If you go

What: BatFest, a celebration of the Halloween season in downtown Batavia

When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25

Where: Batavia Riverwalk, 100 N. Island Ave.

Admission: free

Details: <a href="http://www.downtownbatavia.com">downtownbatavia.com</a>