NORWICH – The Norwich Business Improvement District offers the 10th annual Pumpkin Festival in downtown Norwich in just over a month, and several new competitions and events are being planned.

The goal for this year’s Pumpkin Festival on Oct. 25 is the same as it is every year, to see an increase in the number of carved pumpkins collected during the festival than there were last year. To that end, the community pumpkin carving tent will be open all week long.

“Our goal is to secure 10,000 pumpkins for carving,” said BID Executive Director Pegi LoPresti. “We invite all groups, organizations and businesses to come down and carve pumpkins to help us fill the scaffolding. Hopefully having it open all week, will allow more groups to participate by carving here.”

To increase participation, the Pumpkin Festival Committee has added some new contests this year with cash prizes to the winners. Contests this year will include a pumpkin carving contest, assisted by D&S Auto. Judges from D&S will judge the pumpkins and pick the top three in each category. The categories for each of three new contests are the same. They are scariest, most creative, funniest and most original.

Community Outreach Coordinator Deb Bowers explained that anyone wishing to participate in the contest will have to register at the log in station. Pumpkins in the competition will be placed in front of the main stage.