The Morton Chamber of Commerce announced that the 45th Annual Morton Pumpkin Festival will offer a variety of new visitor amenities including the ability to use Visa, Mastercard, and bank debit cards at the Pumpkin Grille, Pumpkin Sweet Shoppe, and the Pumpkin Store. “We are working hard to make the festival as visitor-friendly as possible,” said Jennifer Daly, Executive Director for the Morton Chamber of Commerce. “Adding a credit and debit card option was key in that goal. We want to thank itv-3 for donating the line installations needed for the service.” The festival will also have an ATM Machine at the Pumpkin Grille, courtesy of Morton Community Bank.

In addition to credit and debit card acceptance, the festival will be offering several other visitor amenities including a free shuttle service. The shuttle, provided by Riverview Senior Living, will run continuously on Saturday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. with stops at the Field Shopping Center and behind Jefferson Elementary School near the Pumpkin Grille. “With only two stops, the shuttle wait times should be minimal,” said Daly. “We know parking can be tough to find on Saturday, so we hope folks will take advantage of the shuttle and enjoy the parade and a full day at the festival without the parking hassles!”

For visitors who have trouble walking long distances, the Morton Pumpkin Festival will offer a handicapped parking area in the Apostolic Christian Church parking lot on Jefferson Street for the first time this year. “The support of the Apostolic Christian Church and the Morton Police Department were critical in making the new handicapped parking available this year,” said Daly. “We also want to encourage people to use the shuttle service as an option to reduce walking distance.” New moms and dads will be delighted to find a special Little Pumpkin Nursing and Changing Station located next to the Pumpkin Decorating Tent on the main festival grounds. The area will include a changing area and a private nursing area to accommodate the festival’s littlest visitors. “Several of our staff members have small children and grandchildren, so we are very sensitive to making sure we have the right facilities for babies and toddlers,” said Daly.

For more information about the Morton Pumpkin Festival, please visit us at www.mortonpumpkinfestival.org and www.facebook.com/mortonpumpkinfestival.