West Virginia Pumpkin Festival Educational Activities
Dear Educator,
What if one field trip could bring your students’ classroom lessons to life?
Imagine your students stepping off the bus and being surrounded by the sights, sounds, and excitement of fall in West Virginia—giant pumpkins, live animals, Appalachian traditions, talented artisans, hands-on activities, and experiences they simply can’t get from a textbook.
That’s School Days at the West Virginia Pumpkin Festival!
On behalf of the West Virginia Pumpkin Festival Committee, we invite you and your students to join us October 1st or 2nd, 2026, at Pumpkin Park in Milton, West Virginia, for a field trip your students will be talking about long after they return to school.
🎃 THIS ISN’T JUST A FIELD TRIP. IT’S AN EXPERIENCE.
For 41 years, the West Virginia Pumpkin Festival has celebrated the agriculture, heritage, creativity, and community spirit of our state. During School Days, we open that experience especially for students—giving them the chance to see it, touch it, hear it, explore it, and experience it for themselves.
Your students can:
- 🐄 Meet live animals and discover the world of agriculture up close.
- 🎃 Explore pumpkins and farm exhibits while learning where our food and harvest traditions begin.
- 🪕 Step into Appalachian heritage through live demonstrations of traditional crafts and skills.
- 🎨 Watch artisans at work and see creativity and craftsmanship come to life right before their eyes.
- 🔎 Get hands-on with activities designed to encourage curiosity, discovery, and participation.
- 🍂 Experience the sights and excitement of the fall harvest in a safe, welcoming, family-friendly environment.
- 📚 Connect classroom learning to the real world through science, history, art, agriculture, and West Virginia culture.
And perhaps most importantly, they’ll make memories.
Because sometimes the lessons students remember most aren’t the ones they read about—they’re the ones they experienced.
A Field Trip your Students can Afford!
We want every school to have the opportunity to experience School Days, so we’ve kept admission incredibly affordable:
- 🎟️ Students — ONLY $2.00 each
- 👩🏫 Teachers & Aides — FREE
- 🚌 Bus Drivers — FREE
- 👨👩👧 Parents, Grandparents & Other Guests — $5.00 until noon
WHY YOUR STUDENTS WILL LOVE IT
- They’ll see something they’ve never seen before.
- They’ll meet people who keep Appalachian traditions alive.
- They’ll interact with animals.
- They’ll discover how things are made.
- They’ll explore.
- They’ll laugh.
- They’ll ask questions.
- They’ll learn.
And they’ll have FUN doing it.
That’s what makes School Days special.
🎃 BRING YOUR CLASSROOM TO PUMPKIN PARK 🎃
School Days Event Information
Contact & Scheduling Information
Location: Pumpkin Park – Milton, WV
Dates: Thursday, October 1st & Friday, October 2nd
Open To: Public schools, private schools, and homeschool groups
Contact Person: Susan Runion
Contact E-mail: wvpfschooldays@gmail.com
To reserve your school group, send Susan an e-mail with the following:
- School name
- Contact information
- Number of students
- Grade level(s)
- Preferred date — October 1st or 2nd
Don’t wait to make School Days part of your 2026 school year – Register Today!
The West Virginia Pumpkin Festival is more than pumpkins. It’s our history. It’s our heritage. It’s our agriculture. It’s our creativity. It’s our community.
And during School Days, we get to share all of that with the next generation.
Give your students a day they’ll remember. Give them a chance to learn beyond the classroom. Give them a little West Virginia fall magic.
Bring them to the West Virginia Pumpkin Festival School Days!
🎃 October 1–2, 2026
📍 Pumpkin Park | Milton, West Virginia
💲 Only $2 per student
We can’t wait to welcome your students to the West Virginia Pumpkin Festival School Days 2026!