If you've seen a rather large orange pumpkin carriage cruising around parts of the Sioux Empire, don't worry, your eyes weren't playing tricks on you, nor did you just spot Cinderella in her magic carriage after midnight.

What you did see was a Sioux Falls woman named Lonnette Kelley, attempting to bring a little joy to people's lives.

Kelly has a pumpkin carriage named Joy.

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Lonnette, a Pipestone, Minnesota native used to live in North Dakota for a number of years. During that time, she always had a dream of creating a pumpkin carriage. As Kelly told Dakota News Now, "One day, I found a fellow that was doing steel artistry. And that was my cue to go ahead and ask him if he would help me build my carriage.”

Obviously, the man agreed to help and that's how her dream came to fruition.

Kelly and her husband put the finishing touches on the carriage. Her husband handled the woodworking and lighting aspects, and she took care of everything craft-related.

Before you know it, her dream became a reality.

Kelly recently relocated her carriage to Sioux Falls late this summer, and that's when she started bringing a little joy to people's lives right here in the Sioux Empire by offering rides in her pumpkin carriage.

As Kelly told Dakota News Now, "I’ve been to some festivals. But right now, I’m just taking reservations for birthday parties, weddings, special features, functions. And I do charge. I don’t overcharge because it’s a joy for me. I want to just enjoy the riders that I have. I’m trying to just use it while I can."

Surprisingly enough, Kelly doesn't do a whole lot of Halloween-themed rides. Right now it's more fall-related. Giving people the opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty that comes along with this time of the year.

Dakota News Now reports, Kelly plans to give pumpkin carriage rides as long as she can. I'm guessing it might be a little tough in a couple of months trying to pull a big orange pumpkin carriage with a riding lawnmower through several inches of South Dakota snow.

Her carriage is not horse-drawn by the way, it sounds like it's more horsepower courtesy of Snapper.

Right now, Kelly's main goal in life is to put smiles on people's faces. Giving people a moment of joy courtesy of Joy!

If you're interested in taking a ride you can contact Kelly through Facebook to check on availability.

Source: Dakota News Now

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