This weekend, the City of Kenai is teaming up with the Kenai Chamber of Commerce, the Kenai Community Library and the Old Town Marketplace to host the fifth annual Fall Pumpkin Festival.

The festival will take place on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is free to the public. There will be live music and local vendors set up at the Marketplace in Old Town Kenai, and outside the Kenai Visitor and Cultural Center festivalgoers will find Scarecrow Alley, which will feature scarecrows designed by local business owners.

In addition to the events at Old Town Marketplace and Scarecrow Alley, several competitions for pumpkin decorating, photography and creative face masks will take place.

The pumpkin decorating contest is for kids age 12 and under and will feature pumpkins being given away for free at the Kenai Library until Friday evening.

Pumpkins will be judged from 12-1 p.m., and the winners will receive a “swag bag” from the library. Any pumpkins that aren’t retrieved after the contest will be discarded.

The photo contest is open to all attendees, who can take their favorite photo from the festival and post it on the event’s Facebook Page. Judges will review all the photos that are posted, and the winner will be included in the Kenai Parks and Recreation 2021 calendar with the photographer’s permission.

Mystery judges will also be walking around Old Town Kenai giving out random prizes to people with the most unique face masks. The masks must be functional in order to qualify.

The event is being billed as “COVID-scaled,” meaning attendees are asked to follow all DHSS guidelines regarding the mitigation of COVID-19. This includes staying home if sick, washing hands often, wearing a mask and social distancing as much as possible.

For more information regarding the event, call the City of Kenai’s Parks and Recreation Department at 907-283-8261.

Reach reporter Brian Mazurek at bmazurek@peninsulaclarion.com.