Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

From staff reports

The City of Orange Convention & Visitors Bureau is excited to announce the inaugural Orangetober Festival.  This event began on Friday with a Ribbon Cutting ceremony with the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce and continues through Saturday, Oct. 2 at the Riverside Pavilion, located at 708 Simmons Drive in Orange.
The Orangetober Festival is sure to provide fun for the entire family with a great variety of events and activities. The Pumpkin Village will feature more than 11,000 pumpkins and gourds along with photo opportunities for the entire family.
Day two of the Orangetober Festival begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 2, and includes tours of the Pumpkin Village, the vendor market, Gumbo Cook-Off, kids activities, food vendors, craft beer, live entertainment on the Riverside Pavilion stage, Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest, Cornhole Tournament and so much more!

The Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Gumbo Cook-off with judging at 2 p.m. on Saturday and winners announced at 4 p.m.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and H.O.P.E. is sponsoring a Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest on Saturday at the Orangetober Festival.

Age division and time of contest are youth ages 8-12 at 1 p.m., teens ages 13-17 at 2 p.m. and adults ages 18 and up at 3 p.m. Winners will be announced at 4 p.m. Prize will be given to the winner of each age division.
The community is invited to join us on Sunday, October 3, at the Riverside Pavilion for a free pumpkin pick-up.  Families, businesses, and individuals are encouraged to bring a few pumpkins home for decorating, carving, or eating purposes.
No dogs, no pets, and no coolers will be allowed at the City of Orange Boat Ramp or Riverside Pavilion.
All vendors and attendees will be responsible in following any and all COVID-19 mandated regulations at the time of the event, including but not limited to, regular sanitizing, spacing, and mask requirements issued by the office of the Governor of the State of Texas and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the time of the event.
For additional information, contact the Orange Convention and Visitors Bureau at 409-883-1011 or online at www.orangetexas.gov.