Downtown Starkville is getting in the spirit of fall this Friday with the fourth annual Pumpkin Palooza from 6 to 8 p.m. in downtown Starkville.
According to Jennifer Gregory, vice president for Tourism Development and Main Street manager, Pumpkin Palooza is part of the series of events entitled New South Weekends and is always on a Friday night before a home football game.
Attractions at Pumpkin Palooza include a Mississippi State pep rally, a pumpkin patch and painting, trick-or-treating for the kids, Starkville community market, late-night shopping and more. 
Brecken Rush, owner of Polka Tots children’s store in downtown Starkville said the event boosts excitement about the upcoming football game, as well as brings more business to the downtown area.
“It provides a family-fun environment for Starkville residents and those guests who will be in town for the ball game weekend,” Rush said. “It boosts the economy by getting people downtown therefore they eat and shop downtown, creating more business and exposure for all of main street and the surrounding streets.”
Rush said many businesses are also in favor of the event because it brings in more traffic to their business and gives people an opportunity to walk along Main Street.
“It greatly increases the traffic in my business and allows me an opportunity to stay open later while a big crowd is present to shop,” Rush said. “All the businesses thrive on this night and it gives people an opportunity to visit and walk on Main Street with no cars present.”
Chelsey Bullock, junior psychology major, said this event will get more people involved in the community and interacting with each other.
“I think it is a good idea to get involved in the community and interact with other people,” Bullock said.
Gregory, who came up with the idea for this event, said she decided to start Pumpkin Palooza to bring families and businesses together and boost excitement about fall.
“I knew that we needed a family-friendly Fall Harvest/Halloween event in Starkville, and I really wanted to see it happen downtown,” Gregory said. “It’s really the product of several organizations coming together to create something that is positive for our community.”
Students who would like to volunteer for this event would be able to help set up tables and tents, help children decorate pumpkins and monitor booths.
To sign up to volunteer, students can visit the Pumpkin Palooza section of the Maroon Volunteer Center website.