In one of the county's great autumnal traditions, nearly 2,500 elementary school students will march through Fayetteville Friday morning for the annual Pumpkin Walk.

The walk runs from 9 a.m.-noon and Fayetteville Police Capt. Harold Simmons advises commuters to avoid the area around the courthouse Friday morning.

"There's really not many alternate routes available through the center of town. The best route would be up Jimmy Mayfield Drive to Jeff Davis," he said.

Students from Fayetteville Elementary, East Fayette Elementary, North Fayette Elementary, Spring Hill Elementary, the First United Methodist Church of Fayetteville preschool, the Fayetteville First Baptist Church preschool, the Joseph Sams School and Lafayette Nursing Home will march their ghastly-decorated gourds to the center of town.

The walk is one of the most colorful celebrations in the county as the costumed students bring their creations for display at the courthouse, Fayetteville City Hall, Heritage Park, the Gazebo and the Fayette County Administrative Complex at Stonewall Village.

With the students, teachers and administrators jamming the historic heart of Fayetteville, Simmons asks drivers to be extremely careful, and if possible, avoid the area until the afternoon hours. The police department will be on hand to help traffic flow through the congested area.

After all the pumpkins are placed at the various locations, the walk takes on an eerier dimension Friday and Saturday nights. The pumpkins will be lit at dusk on both days and the light cast from 2,500 pumpkins gives Fayetteville a perfect feeling for Halloween.

In conjunction with the walk, Fayetteville's Main Street program is hosting downtown's "Trick or Treat on Main Street" at 3 p.m. Friday. The event continues until 6 p.m. and children in costume will receive a special treat. Children can look for the specially marked paper pumpkins marked "Trick or Treat on Main Street" in store windows and receive free goodies from local businesses.

Participating merchants in this year's celebration include All Paging and Cellular, Antique Gallery of Fayette, Attic Treasures, City Cafe, Fayette Collectibles, Fayetteville Fire and Police Department, Finely Scarlett's, Heart of Country, Holiday Inn Express, Parajon's Payton Upholstery, Photography by Rene Victor Bidez, R and D Dollhouses, Stuff 'n Such and Town Square Jewelers.

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