DeKALB — The annual Sycamore Pumpkin Festival will kick off Wednesday and include several events from a giant cake-cutting ceremony to a pie-eating contest. 

The first pumpkin festival happened in 1956 when Wally Thurow, a Sycamore resident, displayed some pumpkins outside his home, according to the Pumpkin Fest website.

Thurow, known as “Mr. Pumpkin” and the Sycamore Lions Club worked together to make the event an official yearly celebration, which was accomplished in 1962. 

Since then, the festival has been a yearly event that aims to be a platform for local nonprofit organizations and encourages its residents to participate in fundraising activities, community, education and enrichment. 

The festival will start with a pumpkin check-in from noon to 9 p.m. Wednesday and a giant cake cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. to close the day. 

Thursday will include three events: the Kiwanis Prayer Breakfast from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., a Trick-or-Treat event from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and pumpkin celebrations from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Friday will include a teen and a kiddie carnival from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. 

Saturday will have several more events. These include a rotary pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., Miss Jamie’s Farm Music Show at 11 a.m., a dog treat, costumes and t-shirt event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., face painting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a pie-eating contest at 4 p.m. The day will end again with the teen and kiddie carnival from noon to 5 p.m. 

Sunday will be the final day of the festival and will have three events featuring the Sycamore Chamber 10K Pumpkin Run at 8:30 a.m., the teen and kiddie carnival from noon to 5 p.m., and the Pumpkin Festival Parade at 1 p.m. 

A full list of events is available on the Pumpkin Fest website along with a downloadable parade route/map and additional details.