“Kenny Thompson & Friends” are Kenny Thompson, Kevin Delaney, Billy Graham & Karen Hennigan

“Kenny Thompson & Friends” is the band that has provided music for The Chadds Ford Historical Society’s Great Pumpkin Carve for the past 33 years. The “Pumpkin Carve History” link tells about how the event got started. The music began and grew in a similar manner to the Carve itself. Local musicians were inspired to bring their instruments, join in the event, and entertain the crowd. Kenny recalls Caleb Cressman & Brandywine Bill, as well as some of the carvers themselves, including Pete Renzetti and Jimmy Lynch being among the first.

Kenny Thompson, along with his bandmates from the Rural Rhythm String Band, Dave Culgan, Leo McDermott, Chris Ferrier, and Eric Paulson, were among the earliest players to jump on that proverbial bandwagon. In fact, Kenny believes he may be the only person to have played every Carve except that first one!

As the event grew, it moved to various local venues, and whoever showed up was welcome to play. And many did! It was in 1992, when the Chadds Ford Historical Society gave the festivities a permanent home and expanded it to a three-night event, that “Kenny Thompson & Friends” became the official band of The Great Pumpkin Carve of Chadds Ford. In addition to Kenny, the band’s nucleus has been Kevin Delaney, Billy Graham, and, in more recent years, Karen Hennigan.

In 2023 they were honored to be the subject of the cover story in the October issue of Chadds Ford Neighbors Magazine. The article gives more details about the history of their role providing music for the Carve over the last 33 years. Every year they call on some of the area’s best musicians to come out and become “Friends” for an evening.