The sun may not have shone on Oct. 1 for Boothbay Railway Village Museum’s Family Harvest Day, but who needs sun to have fun? 

Outdoor games included a high striker that attracted young and old; cornhole, a supersized tic-tac-toe, and Frisbees flying through the air.

Families waited for their turn to catch a ride on the hay wagon to take the back route to the pumpkin patch on the other side of the pond. Selecting a pumpkin is serious business this time of year. Some children were decisive, while others had to survey the entire patch first. Lori Reynolds, marketing and events coordinator at BRVM, said at the start of the event there were 400 of the gourds, fruit, squash (pumpkins are technically all three). At the end of the event about 50 remained. 

Once returned from the pumpkin patch, kids were busy decorating the pumpkins with markers and other art supplies. 

“For those who missed out on the pumpkin fun at Family Harvest Day,” said Reynolds, “a pumpkin hunt and pumpkin art will be happening at the Fall Foliage Festival this weekend!” 

Seventy kids participated in a scavenger hunt, most teaming up with parents. The hunt took them to the exhibit buildings around the lower part of the Village. Prizes were train whistles and wooden cars.

Members of the Boothbay Region High School junior class had a bake sale table next to the concessions area and sold almost all of the cupcakes and other baked goods. Concessions included hot dogs, mac and cheese, popcorn and beverages. 

Country songs from decades past, including Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, floated on the air, the barrel train carried small children around the Village Green as their parents stood by taking photos; and then families boarded the steam train with engineers John and Cathy Orne at the controls.