In 1964 the Barnesville community started the Barnesville Fall Fair in the
Catholic Church basement but the rapid growth called for a change.
 They renamed the event
The Barnesville Pumpkin Festival and took over the streets.
What started out to be 300
 in attendance soon grew to over 100,000 in attendance.
Each year the crowd travels from afar to see the "King Pumpkin" weigh in,
which $1.00 per pound is paid to the harvester of the heaviest pumpkin.

The "King Pumpkin" is auctioned off on Saturday night of the festival
with the highest bidder taken custody of the pumpkin for seven days to
have it put on display at their business. Once the pumpkin is returned
to the committee, the pumpkin is gutted and seeds are divided, one half to
the grower and one half to the committee. The seeds are dried and
packaged to be sold to prospective growers.

Other Festival activities include carnival rides, a queen pageant , a classic
 and antique car show, entertainment on two stages, talent show, hog calling,
 tobacco-spitting ,fudge, pie baking ,pie eating, tall tale, pumpkin rolling contests,
pet show and a Giant pumpkin parade. Twenty-five Committees, comprising of
200 people, work on the planning and implementation.
Also involved in the festivities are Barnesville civic organizations, and
clubs who use the event as their major fund -raiser.