Tis the season to chuck pumpkins.
Unfamiliar with the sport? I was too until I saw an episode of Food Network’s All-American Festivals that spotlighted the wonders of pumpkins. For all you pumpkin-loving people who thought the orange fruit was only good for pies, breads, and to decorate your porch during the month of October—-think again.
Each year thousands travel to various parts of the country to watch grown men (and in some cases women and small children) hurl the popular autumn fruit into the sky at speeds that exceed 300 mph using a 30,000-pound cannon. It’s called pumpkin chucking and its appeal is sweeping the nation.
The granddaddy of all pumpkin chucking events takes place in Bridgeville, Delaware (located about 90 miles from Washington) each fall. It’s called the World Championship Punkin Chunkin’ contest – and this year the festivities get underway on November 2nd.
The event is more than 20 years old and is billed as the oldest and largest competition of its type. Last year more than 50,000 pumpkin chucking fans turned out to watch 100 teams compete. This year event organizers say the pumpkin launching machines are bigger and better than ever. They include air compressors, catapults, and centrifugal machines that spin the pumpkins before hurling them. Pumpkin chuckers are tying to smash the current record set in 2003 when a pumpkin was hurled more than 4,430 feet across a grassy field.
If you live in the Midwest portion of the United States head out to Morton, Illinois–the place where 85% of the world’s canned pumpkin is made—-and the site of the Morton Punkin Chuckin’ contest. This year the fun begins on October 20th. If you plan to travel to Morton for the festivities I would suggest going early as the event attracts thousands of tourists who drive hours to see pumpkins take flight by machine and shear muscle (the event also features a hand-tossing contest). The winners of the event typically land on late-night television to show off their pumpkin chucking skills to David Letterman and Jay Leno. The event is held at the Uhlman family farm on the corner of Springfield and Allentown roads, about 10 miles southeast of Peoria.
If you can’t make it to Morton or Bridgeville this season consider traveling to these other contests held at pumpkin farms and fall festivals around the country.
In Bristol, Connecticut you can watch contestants launch pumpkins with machines powered by “springs, rubber bands, air, muscle, centrifugal force, brute strength, power architecture and bicycles.” The smashing good time takes place at the Bristol Pumpkin Festival on October 28th.
In Moab, Utah you can see pumpkin chuckers show off their skills on October 27th on Old Airport Runway.
Finally, if you are in Cincinnati on November 3rd head over to Stanbery Park on Oxford Avenue for the big “Pumpkin Chick.” You can buy a pumpkin on site or bring one from home for the “Two Buck Chuck,” where for $2 you can launch your gourd sky-high from a catapult.
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