SACO — Babies and toddlers, some older children and even a canine or two were dressed in costume for the occasion Saturday as Saco Spirit held the Pumpkin Harvest Festival.

A couple of blocks of Main Street were blocked off for the event, which drew hundreds ”“ maybe thousands ”“ downtown from shortly after noon to 5 p.m.

Children could play a number of pumpkin-themed games, like pumpkin pitch and pumpkin bowling; show off the pumpkins their school classes decorated; and get their faces painted in pumpkin-related or other themes. Vendors plied their wares, selling everything from carnival-type souvenirs to glassware, from crocheted items to fine chocolates.

Madison Lawrence, 8, of Sanford, was among hundreds of youth who donned a harness and climbed the towering Royal Rangers wall.

“It’s awesome. I’ve been climbing since I was 2 years old,” she said after she got to the top, rang the bell and then rappelled down. “I like the challenge, and the height.”

In just a couple of hours, more than 200 kids had tried their luck at climbing the wall, and at that point, the afternoon was still young.

Her father, Al Lawrence, said the family was on their way to an event in Freeport when they learned about the Saco festival and decided to stop by.

“We’ll be back next year. We enjoy supporting small, community festivals,” Lawrence said.

Brenda Goulet, of Seacoast Chapel, dispensing home-baked treats from a nearby bakery, said she had helped recruit volunteers from the congregation to participate. About 20 turned out, she said, including a few who hadn’t earlier signed up to assist with the event.

“It’s going really well, and (the organizers) did a really great job of planning the festival,” she said.

She wasn’t the only one with praise for Pumpkin Harvest 2013. One grandmother, carrying her pumpkin-costumed grandchild in her arms, expressed it best.

“It’s fun!” she said.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].