A fall tradition in Henry County is going strong once again, in an effort to promote literacy.

  The Henry Arts Alliance’s annual Parade of Pumpkins is currently on display in the North Lobby of Piedmont Henry Hospital. The pumpkins will travel to local libraries and additional locations in the county this month.

  Henry Arts Alliance President Lynna Schmidt launched the Parade of Pumpkins approximately 10 years ago as a way to promote literacy in the county. She credited Piedmont Henry Hospital for their partnership with her organization throughout the endeavor.

  “The hospital’s very supportive and very helpful. It is a great location to start the parade,” said Schmidt. “The employees there are just as excited as the public to see the pumpkins.”

  Schmidt added that the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Deborah Armstrong, has been particularly supportive of the parade.

  “She helped us find a new locations for the pumpkins, which is now the North Tower,” said Schmidt. “The reason she picked that location is that it’s the labor and delivery tower, and there are lots of kids and families who come through there.”

  “It’s unbelievable what these artists do, said Schmidt, adding that local businesses and individuals have decorated pumpkins for the parade.  “We really hope that when kids see these books, they say ‘I’ve never seen that one before, I want to read that book.’ That’s exciting to me.”

  Gloria Hughes is the secretary/treasurer of the Henry Arts Alliance. She said encouraging children to read is “a task that all adults should embrace.”

  “As a former reading specialist, I know that activities such as the pumpkins can motivate kids to pick up a book that looks interesting,” said Hughes. “Reading a book on their own builds confidence in students.”

  Hughes said Hampton Elementary, Oakland Elementary and McDonough Middle schools have decorated a number of “eye-catching” pumpkins to be part of this year’s parade.

  “In my opinion, these are the best I’ve seen in the years I’ve been involved with it – really creative,” said Hughes. “We are excited that we are involving more schools than we have in the past.”

  Joy Caldwell, marketing manager for the library system, said the Parade of Pumpkins enables businesses, organizations and individuals to get creative while promoting literacy.

  “It’s a great mix of creativity and artistry with a literary theme,” said Caldwell. “It’s like a spark to the kids to see how fun and interesting reading really is. When they see these pumpkins, it gets them interested in reading books. If you can get them to read one book and love it, then you can get them interested in reading for the rest of their lives.”

  Schmidt added that the Arts Alliance and the library system are also teaming up for a free Fall Festival, slated for October 18.

  “Kids are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes,” said Schmidt. “And, there’s storytelling, games, goodie bags, and a raffle for the pumpkins.”

  For more information, visit henryartsalliance.org.