Staff photo by Clay Schuldt Members of the St. Anthony Elementary Student Council directed Pumpkinfest attendees at the annual school fundraiser on Saturday.

NEW ULM — New Ulm Area Catholic Schools (NUACS) got in the festive spirit with their annual Pumpkinfest celebration.

Pumpkinfest is NUACS annual fall fundraiser for St. Anthony’s Elementary and Cathedral High School. Members of the Elementary Student Council could be seen on 5th and Broadway directing traffic to the celebration. The festival included a country store, music, games for the kids and a pumpkin patch.

NUACS Assistant Development Director Tammy Klawitter said the annual event a little different this year because of COVID, but many of the events were allowed to continue. The bake sale items were all made by staff and volunteer inside the school’s industrial kitchen to follow COVID guidelines. Volunteers watched the numbers of attendees to keep crowd size down.

The pumpkin patch was one of the most popular attractions. It was a chance for families to select the family pumpkin. The goal was to find the perfect carving pumpkin, something to really sink a knife into. The big round gourds were popular, but a few families went for the taller pumpkins.

The festival was a fun option for students and family during this unusual Oktoberfest.