09/22/2026
Before Facebook. Before TikTok. Before boosted posts, algorithms, influencers or any of the other nonsense small businesses deal with todayā¦
A Versailles jeweler apparently looked at a pumpkin and said, āYep. Thatāll get people downtown.ā
And somehow, more than a century later, here we are.
The history of the Versailles Pumpkin Show is actually pretty damn cool.
On October 14, 1899, local jeweler Alfred H. Beer staged the first Pumpkin Show as a way to promote his business. (Versailles Pumpkin Show)
Which means one of Versaillesā biggest traditions basically started as a small business owner trying to figure out how to get people into town.
We can relate.
And Alfred did not mess around with the prizes.
The heaviest pumpkin weighed 74 pounds, 5 ounces and won a gold filled watch.
Second place got a gravy ladle.
Third got six teaspoons.
Another winner got a clock.
And the man who brought the ugliest pumpkin went home with a violin.
Honestly, we need to bring back this level of completely unpredictable prize selection. (Versailles Pumpkin Show)
Beer kept putting the show on until 1907, when other Versailles merchants realized he might actually be onto something and joined together to continue it.
Then it grew.
Farm products were judged. Flowers. Sewing. Cooking. Handicrafts.
Then came the parades.
Then the rides.
Stage acts.
Aerial acts.
And, eventually, a big Saturday night Pumpkin Show dance. (Versailles Pumpkin Show)
Generation after generation kept adding another piece to it.
And that might be my favorite part of the whole story.
Because underneath the pumpkins, carnival rides and parade floats is something pretty simple:
A bunch of people decided that giving folks a reason to come to Versailles was good for Versailles.
That was true in 1899.
Itās still true in 2026.
Today the Pumpkin Show is put on by the Versailles Lions Club, and the town proudly bills it as Indianaās oldest festival. This year it takes over the courthouse square September 23 through 26, with the big Saturday parade at 10:30 followed by the Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off. (Town of Versailles)
So when somebody says, āPumpkin Show isnāt what it used to be,ā maybe theyāre right.
It isnāt supposed to be.
It wasnāt the same in 1907 as it was in 1899.
It wasnāt the same once they added parades.
Or carnival rides.
Or stage shows.
Traditions survive because each generation inherits them, adds something of their own, and hands them to the next one.
This week, that tradition belongs to us.
Come downtown.
Walk the square.
Ride something that makes you question your decision making.
Eat something fried.
Watch the parade.
Visit the businesses.
See some old friends.
Make some new memories.
And somewhere along the way, dramatically raise a pumpkin to Alfred H. Beer.
The man accidentally responsible for one hell of a marketing campaign.
