ARLINGTON — Arlington’s “Hometown Halloween” on Saturday, Oct. 26, might be short both a pumpkin roll and a pumpkin pie contest, if the city of Arlington isn’t able to find sponsors for those events.

City of Arlington Recreation Manager Sarah Lopez explained to the Downtown Arlington Business Association on Wednesday, Oct. 9, that the Lifeway Foursquare Church of Arlington, which had sponsored the pumpkin roll for the past three years, will no longer be able to do so this year. While Lopez appreciates the time and effort that Lifeway has invested in the event, she acknowledged that the church stepping down has left the city in a bit of a bind, so she went to DABA to see if any area merchants or other organizations are interested in stepping up.

“It should be a business or non-profit, that can set up the bales of hay and pumpkins, and manage the particulars, including the awarding of prizes,” Lopez said. “They can contact me, and I’ll have them meet with Lifeway to get the details of the event.”

Without sponsors for the pumpkin roll down the First Street hill, or the pumpkin pie contest in the Legion Park gazebo, Lopez noted that Arlington’s “Hometown Halloween” will be limited to trick-or-treating on Olympic Avenue, the costume contest in Legion Park and the pumpkin decorating contest sponsored by Arlington Hardware & Lumber.

“These have historically been sponsored by our downtown businesses,” Lopez told the DABA Board of Directors during their morning meeting on Oct. 9.

Lopez can be contacted by phone at 360-403-3448 or via email at slopez@arlingtonwa.gov to take part or find out more. Those wishing to sponsor the pumpkin roll or pumpkin pie contest must be confirmed to do so by Friday, Oct. 18.

Looking further into the future, the DABA Board voted on Oct. 9 to spend $500 on red and white Christmas tree decorations for the city’s tree, in time for “Hometown Holidays” on Saturday, Dec. 7, since the city is spending $2,000 on new LED Christmas tree lights that will consume less power.