Combing through a pumpkin patch for that perfect pumpkin is a memory many New England families share each fall. But the United Parish of Auburndale took the autumn fun of a pumpkin patch several steps further with their annual Pumpkin Fest on Sunday.

Bake sales, live music, face painting, pumpkin decorating and a petting zoo made for a fun family festival, organized with the help of many volunteers.

Lasell University’s baseball team helped unload a massive truckload of pumpkins for the parish, a tradition that started when Billy Uberti, a Newton North graduate and the team’s head coach, was a player for Lasell.

“We enjoy doing it. So you see it bring the team together. You see it bringing the community together,” Uberti said. “If you can help somebody, you know, make somebody’s day easier. You know, it provides some gratitude and a good lesson for our team members.”

Church member Julie Redmond was volunteering at the festival’s petting zoo. “I’ve been just helping out with the petting zoo over there,” said Redmond. “It’s really fun, because I’ve been doing this since I was a little kid. And so to be able to, like, come back and work it and see all the kids and their costumes and everything, it’s really fun.”

Pumpkins were provided by Pumpkins USA, an organization that partners with growers across the country to help stock pumpkin patches. These gourds were grown by the Navajo Tribe in New Mexico, which will receive some of the profits from the fundraiser.

According to Mahala Davenport, parish member and one of the festival’s organizers, the pumpkin patch and festival are part of an 18-year-long giving back to the community.

“For me, it was my turn to give. And we have a lot of very, very giving individuals within our church,” Davenport said.

On Sunday, the United Parish of Auburndale’s group effort helped elevate a quintessentially New England tradition into a community event that everyone could enjoy.

Check out these photos from the event.