{"id":683,"date":"2011-10-02T15:39:58","date_gmt":"2011-10-02T15:39:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.brickhousefabrics.com\/blog\/?p=683"},"modified":"2016-04-17T13:07:12","modified_gmt":"2016-04-17T13:07:12","slug":"pumpkin-fest-damariscotta-maine-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brickhousefabrics.com\/blog\/pumpkin-fest-damariscotta-maine-2011\/","title":{"rendered":"PUMPKIN FEST, Damariscotta, Maine- 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/div>\n

When fall comes around everyone thinks of things like cooler nights, colored leaves, and pumpkins. But here in mid-coast Maine one also begins to see signs of Pumpkin Fest! The festival is 5 years old this year, and is dedicated to the growing of LARGE pumpkins… the Atlantic Giant and others.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

While Pumpkin Fest begins around the first week of October, preparation starts long before it! After all one needs to GROW the pumpkins! This summer I went searching for a pumpkin in the field.. simple one would think, but not hardly! I saw a nice one growing down at Pemaquid Point in August, but that was it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

GIANT PUMPKIN at PEMAQUID POINT<\/b><\/p>\n

I emailed Pumpkin Fest, via their website, asking if someone would let me take a picture of a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch. The lady who answered the email said she had two pumpkins in her patch, and to come on down! I did.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A GIANT PUMPKIN PUMPKIN PATCH<\/p>\n

The patch had two pumpkin vines,
\neach with one pumpkin.
\nThe vines had been carefully trained and filled the patch,
\nwithout spilling out of it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The pumpkins can grow up to 10 lbs. a day, sometimes more.
\nTo protect the skin from hardening, and thus cracking,
\nthey are grown under covers.
\nThey are uncovered on cloudy days.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A GIANT PUMPKIN WRAPPED IN A QUILT
\nto protect it from sun<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pumpkin Fest started 5 years ago. The moving spirit behind it was Bill Clark, who had been growing giant pumpkins, and winning giant pumpkin contests. It has now been totally embraced by the community, which plays an active part in making it happen.<\/p>\n

There are events of all kinds from a boat regatta- yes, you can paddle your own pumpkin, or even put an outboard motor on it! And this year a pumpkin derby is being added! There is a pumpkin parade, and pumpkins line the streets of Damarascotta. There has been, in the past the giant pumpkin drop- where a huge pumpkin is dropped on an old car… smashing it, and pumpkin chunking remains an active event. This is where pumpkins are launched out of what resemble large cannons. (Yes, there is actually an American Chunker team..) They can go as far as 3000′! The fire fighters use GPS to note the distances. Other things are music, pumpkin desert contests, underwater pumpkin carving, a pie eating contest, a pumpkin pancake breakfast, and a lot more.<\/p>\n

Besides all of these fun events Pumpkin Fest is also about helping non-profit organizations be heard. There are two locations that they can set up, giving them exposure and hopefully allowing them to gather donations for their causes.<\/p>\n

The other thing that Pumpkin Fest is about is the educating of people on HOW to grow a giant pumpkin. This is no mean feat…last year’s champion pumpkin grower was reputed to spend 3-4 hours a day tending his patch.<\/p>\n

The headquarters for the Pumpkin Fest activities is Pinkham’s Plantation- nursery on the Biscay Road. For much of the season it resembles any plant nursery (Yes, they have good plants, and even some rather rare, hard to get ones.) But, come October 1 and the place is transformed!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Pinkham's<\/p>\n

PINKHAM’S PLANTATION PLANT NURSERY
\nPumpkin Fest Headquarters<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Giant<\/p>\n

PINKHAM’S PLANTATION PLANT NURSERY
\none of the giant pumpkins in a display<\/b><\/p>\n

\"pumpkin<\/p>\n

PINKHAM’S PLANTATION PUMPKIN PATCH<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Pumpkin<\/p>\n

PUMPKINS WAITING TO BE WEIGHED<\/b><\/p>\n

Once a pumpkin has been cut from the vine
\nthey begin to loose weight.
\nSome of the pumpkins above
\nhave been wrapped in plastic to help keep them
\nfrom losing water weight.
\nThe pumpkins above were grown by volunteers,
\nand will be used for the different events of the week-
\nlining the streets of Damariscotta, Maine being one of them.
\nAt Pinkham’s there are pumpkins everywhere!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Giant<\/p>\n

GIANT PUMPKINS at PINKHAM’S PLANTATION<\/b><\/p>\n

One begins to get a sense of the wide variety of large pumpkins!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There are several categories for pumpkin and squash growers who want to enter the Pumpkin Fest Growing contest…There a youth division, a volunteer division, and then, for the big ones.. there is a pro-division. The winners share in a $10,000.00 purse, which is divided by class.<\/p>\n

This is a sanctioned GPC (Giant Pumpkin Commonwealth) weigh off. This is a global organization dedicated to the growing of giant pumpkins. From their mission statement: The Giant Pumpkin Commonwealth’s (GPC) mission cultivates the hobby of growing giant pumpkins throughout the world by establishing standards and regulations that ensure quality of fruit, fairness of competition, recognition of achievement, fellowship, and education for all participating growers and weigh-off sites.<\/p>\n

There are also divisions for the growers of squash and long neck gourds.<\/p>\n

SUNDAY- October 2, 2011<\/b>
\nIt has poured rain all day today. We hope to get out tomorrow and get pictures of the winning pumpkins, with their weight.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

MONDAY- October 3, 2011<\/b><\/p>\n

The rain stopped, and we headed over to Pinkham’s Plantation
\nto get some pictures of the winners!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

SOME OF THE CONTESTANTS<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Pumpkin<\/p>\n

When faced with rows of enormous pumpkins
\nit is hard to realize
\nthe full scale of these big boys!<\/p>\n

There are three classes in which to enter pumpkins:
\nYouth, Volunteers, and the Pros.
\nThis year, for the fourth time in a row,
\nCrystal Miller won with a 435 lb beauty.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Youth<\/p>\n

CRYSTAL MILLER’S 435 lb. WINNING PUMPKIN<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Pumpkin<\/p>\n

THIS YEAR’S WINNING PUMPKIN!
\nElroy Morgan’s 1375.0 lb. pumpkin<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Pumpkin<\/p>\n

AND ANOTHER VIEW<\/b><\/p>\n

The next phase of Pumpkin Fest
\nis to harvest seeds from the pumpkins.
\nThis is not as easy as it looks!
\nThe large pumpkins have walls 4″- 6″ thick.
\nAnd the cavities can have enough fiber and seeds
\nto more than fill a 5 gallon bucket.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Harvesting<\/p>\n

HARVESTING PUMPKIN SEEDS<\/b><\/p>\n

The pumpkins are rolled over, and they are opened on the back, using knives or saws.
\nThe fiberous pulp is pulled out.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

PUMPKIN FIBER AND SEEDS<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A VIEW OF THE THICK WALLS
\nof a giant pumpkin”<\/b><\/p>\n

The large seeds are then separated from the fiberous pulp, washed, dried, and stored for next season.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

SEEDS FROM A GIANT PUMPKIN<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

THURSDAY- October 6, 2011<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

PUMPKINS LOADED
\nready for deployment!<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Damariscotta,<\/p>\n

DAMARISCOTTA WAITING FOR PUMPKINS
\nthe pallets are in place, all down Main Street, waiting.<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

FRIDAY- October 7, 2011<\/b><\/p>\n

Everyone can relax!
\nThe pumpkins are here, the pumpkins are here!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Damariscotta<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This morning everywhere one looked in town there were pumpkins!
\nMain Street has a lot!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Main Street, Damariscotta, Maine
\nthe pumpkins are ready!<\/b><\/p>\n

<<\/p>\n

While the pumpkins sit waiting to be decorated,
\nit was a very busy time down at Pinkham’s Plantation,
\nas the boat building got under way.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"pumpkin<\/p>\n

The first thing to do is, of course open the pumpkin up, and clean it out,
\nand make the hole where one can sit!
\nThen one needs to decide on the type of boat it will be!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

While some might take a traditional yachting tack, others might go for something else!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

PUMPKIN BOATS IN THE MAKING
\nfor the PUMPKIN FEST REGATTA<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, back on Main Street, pumpkin decorating had begun!
\nPumpkin Fest is run on donations. The large donators get to have a large pumpkin to decorate.
\nWhat they do is up to them, and they can be very creative!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Pumpkin<\/p>\n

A MAN WATCHES ANOTHER
\nCarving out a Giant Pumpkin<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A MAN PAINTED A CHESHIRE CAT
\nfor the Cafe<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

THE BOOK STORE’S PUMPKIN
\nshows a man reading a book!<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

OUT BY THE YELLOW FRONT
\nthe pumpkin painting is a group effort!<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

While the boat building and pumpkin decorating was going on, there was also movement for the new pumpkin derby, where people could decorate and race a pumpkin up to 20 pounds! The chunkers were also expected out on the Great Salt Bay. Things were heating up, as the town was filling up with people who wanted to see the pumpkins!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

SATURDAY- October 8, 2011<\/b><\/p>\n

Saturday dawned, a beautiful fall day, and it was expected to hit 80 degrees F… this is the first time most of us remember having this warm a weekend this late in the year! Especially, as we had had a hard frost two days before! But, no one was complaining!<\/p>\n

Saturday was a marathon of events! From a pancake breakfast, to more boat building, pumpkin decorating, pumpkin chunking, the pumpkin parade, and the Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder Restoration Project was having a chowder lunch and a wooden fish race as well! Main street was full of people, pumpkins, and the restaurants were busy serving food on the side walks as well… doughnuts and breakfast things in the morning, and lunch food later on! It was a perfect day for Pumpkin Fest!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Pumpkin Parade started in Newcastle,
\nand ended at the dock in Damariscotta.
\nOne thing about a town parade is
\nanyone who wishes to participate can!
\nThere were children with goats, people with cats!
\nEveryone joined in!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This pumpkin person just floated down the
\nparade route, enjoyment was evident!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Kids had a great time in their pumpkin cars!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Cars and trucks were decorated appropriately!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Queen of the Pumpkins struts her stuff!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We did not go to the Regatta this year,
\ndue to the accident the night before.
\nThe following pictures are from the Pumpkin Fest Regatta, 2009.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

YES, YOU CAN FLOAT IN A PUMPKIN!!<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

WAITING FOR THE ACTION TO BEGIN!<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

ACTION AT SEA!<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

THE SUPER SOAKER IN ACTION!<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

THE SUPER SOAKER TAKES A BREAK!<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The carved and decorated pumpkins are amazing.
\nWhile some are keyed to the store businesses,
\nothers are just very imaginative!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

TOGUS, a legendary cat!<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

EYEBALL WITH SPIDER<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

GIANT CRAB in NEWCASTLE<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

SOME OF THE PUMPKINS
\nadd humor to the community!<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER?<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

AN ELABORATE VIGNETTE
\nFeaturing a pumpkin wood burning stove- complete with smoke!<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A LAUGHING CHINA MAN<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A RATHER ANNOYED LOOKING CAT!<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

THE LIBRARY PUMPKIN
\n“Wake UP Night”
\ncarved with a detailed moon, and painted with animals<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I hope you have enjoyed the pictures of Pumpkin Fest. And, if you feel inspired to grow your own giant pumpkin write to Pumpkin Fest for some of the giant seeds! And, hopefully, if you are in the mid-coast region next fall, you will come and see next years giant pumpkins!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A SAD NOTICE<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At the end of the parade there some Shriners on go carts doing stunts. There was an accident, it wasn’t anyone’s fault. And one of them died. This happened just after we had been talking with them. We did not go to any of the other events following the parade, we just did not feel like doing so. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the man who died, and with his fellow Shriners who were in the parade.<\/p>\n

On this amazingly beautiful weekend it underscored how fragile life is, and how blessed some are.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

RESOURCES and THANKS<\/b><\/p>\n

First I would like to thank Kathy Anderson for her help, and time with this blog post. She very kindly allowed me to come down to her pumpkin patch, and spent time with me. So, thankyou, Kathy!<\/p>\n

For information on Pumpkin Fest and growing pumpkins see:
\nhttp:\/\/damariscottapumpkinfest.com\/<\/p>\n

For information on the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth see:
\nhttp:\/\/greatpumpkincommonwealth.com\/index.php<\/p>\n

For information on Togus the cat see:
\nhttp:\/\/www.togusthecat.com\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When fall comes around everyone thinks of things like cooler nights, colored leaves, and pumpkins. But here in mid-coast Maine one also begins to see signs of Pumpkin Fest! The festival is 5 years old this year, and is dedicated to the growing of LARGE pumpkins… the Atlantic Giant and others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brickhousefabrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brickhousefabrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brickhousefabrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brickhousefabrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brickhousefabrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=683"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.brickhousefabrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1189,"href":"https:\/\/www.brickhousefabrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683\/revisions\/1189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brickhousefabrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brickhousefabrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brickhousefabrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}