Great Pumpkin Festival returns to Cochran for 50th anniversary

The festival will be held Saturday, October 17, with activities scheduled throughout the day.

COCHRAN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Great Pumpkin Festival is returning to downtown Cochran this month, marking the 50th anniversary of the community event.

The festival will be held Saturday, October 17, with activities scheduled throughout the day.

According to the Cochran-Bleckley Chamber of Commerce, the festival will begin with a pumpkin run at 8 a.m., followed by the festival opening at 10 a.m.

Activities will include a pumpkin decorating contest, car show, vendor pumpkin patch, kids zone and classic car awards. A pumpkin patch hunt will take place throughout the day.

The festival will also feature more than 200 vendors, including local businesses, arts and crafts vendors and food trucks. Organizers say the event drew more than 12,000 people in 2025.

Live entertainment is scheduled throughout the evening. Vindor will perform at 5 p.m., followed by Stacie’s Hit Blackwater at 5:30 p.m. and the Haze Band at 7:30 p.m.

A Rivertown Breakdown is scheduled for 9:30 p.m., followed by a fireworks show at 9:45 p.m.

Admission to the festival is free. Some specialty play areas require a small fee.

Handicap parking will be available behind the Bleckley County Courthouse, and parking will be available throughout the downtown district.