Pumped for pumpkins

Enthusiasm wasn't squashed at Christianson's Nursery northeast of La Conner Saturday.

The opposite was the case.

Squash, in the form of giant pumpkins, enthused throngs of people who descended upon Christianson's on a beautiful warm and sun-splashed afternoon the last day of summer.

Christianson's Nursery held its annual Skagit Valley Giant Pumpkin Festival, drawing growers and fans alike from throughout the Pacific Northwest. Hundreds of parked cars made for a jam-packed Saturday afternoon, with folks who basked in the amazing weather and partook of a wide range of attractions – from tractor...