10/25/2026
It's been a week and a day since the Old Town Fall Festival, and to be honest, I needed to step back from it for a moment. If y'all don't know by now, I'm also the photographer behind Ariana Jordan Photography (I'll story time how that one and Maddox Made came together someday), and October is my busiest time of year. So I wrapped up Fall Fest and dove straight into the deep end of fall photos. It's been one of those "just keep swimming" kind of weeks.
But now that I've had a chance to come up for air, I just want to say, from the very, very bottom of my heart, THANK YOU.
Thank you for showing up. Thank you for bringing me pumpkins. Thank you for coming to see the garden, for voting, for shopping, and for filling up Old Town and our little businesses down here.
Since the day I opened my doors at Maddox Made, it's been my dream to look out my window and see Old Town FULL of people. And y'all SHOWED UP. I don't think I've ever seen the market so busy. I couldn't even leave the store long enough to take pictures!
I am so proud of everyone who participated in the Pumpkin Glow Garden. We had over 80 pumpkins submitted into the contest this year, which absolutely blew my mind! And seeing some of our young artists among the WINNERS truly makes all of this worthwhile. I want these kids to know they can do anything they set their minds to, and that anybody can win!
And speaking of winners, y'all took your voting seriously! We tallied over 1,100 individual votes over the weekend! Every vote really did count!
And now, our winners!!!
Best of Glow: Davy Martin
Prettiest Pumpkin: Marie Rector
Most Ridiculous Pumpkin: Amber Garrett
Scariest Pumpkin: Maddy McKeehan
And the winner of our Show Us Your Guts contest was Kim Stocker!
The biggest thank you goes to my husband, Drew, my behind-the-scenes hero. I literally could not have done any of this without him. To my daughter, who inspires me to do it at all.
And to my fellow Old Town Shopkeepers, thank you for being in this with me. Especially Lauren at Fire & Fern, my biggest partner in cahoots, and Steve and Heather at Top Drawer Gallery. None of this would have happened without you guys.
I also owe a HUGE thank you to all the wonderful Berea businesses and community members who helped make this garden possible, whether you donated to our incredible prize baskets, helped us fill the garden, or contributed your time and talents.
Fire & Fern, Native Bagel, Whimsy's Books, Get Outside Kentucky, Mary Lou's Bookshop, Becky's Breads, Bluegrass Kitchen, Lindsay Gallery, Top Drawer Gallery, Foley's Florist, Boone Tavern, Honey and Hive, Endgame Manor, Kidd Family Farm, Appalachian Fireside Gallery, Appalachian Cinema Preservation Society, Berea Arts Council, and Berea Tourism. Thank you ALL.
And a very special thank you to Angel, Ellen, Pat, Kara, Mahala, Dakota, Jacob, and Miss Pat, who stepped up and volunteered their time to help me bring this garden to life. From decorating the garden to hauling hay bales to counting votes and everything in between, I literally could not have done it without them.
And to anyone who offered an encouraging word, lent a hand, or helped in any way, please know how much I appreciate you. If I've left you out, you are absolutely not forgotten. I just have the brain of a goldfish!
If there's one thing this year taught me, it's that there's only so much one person can do. Volunteering in your community is SO important, y'all. If you see something happening in your town that you love, and you have the time or ability to lend a hand, please do. These things don't just happen on their own. They happen because people care enough to show up and help make them happen. We're all in this together, and that's what makes a community.
The THIRD ANNUAL Old Town Fall Festival in 2027 is already in the works, so go ahead and mark your calendars for the third weekend in October and start thinking about what kind of pumpkin you're going to make! We'll announce next year's categories a little closer to time.
I love this little town and the people who make it what it is. Thank you for showing me what can happen when we all come together. I hope you had as much fun as I did. I cannot wait to do it all again next year. ❤️
