Pumpkin Fest by Blue Grass (Charity harvest fair in Balzac)

Pumpkin Fest is the one-day fall fair Blue Grass has run for more than 20 years at its garden centre in Balzac, just north of the city, and admission itself is the fundraiser. Proceeds go to the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation, and the event has raised more than $350,000 over its history. The crowd gathers for the giant pumpkin drop onto a car. The rest of the day mixes a petting zoo, pony rides, horse-drawn hay rides, a straw maze, pumpkin carving and face painting with contests for kids and adults, from pie and hot-pepper eating to scarecrow building. New this year are two inflatable obstacle courses and military vehicles kids can explore, and a silent auction and 50/50 raffle run alongside.