Admission to the festival will cost $5 for anybody 4 years old or older (spectator or competitor), free for 3 and under, $20 (max) for an immediate family. The festival goes from 11 am to dark, featuring three rounds of competitive pumpkin chuckin' starting at 12 noon, 1pm and 2pm with awards shortly after the last round. No dogs and no alcohol please. Parking is free. Food will be provided by the Rotary. The VTPC Festival is an annual event, held on the first Sunday in October, since 2009 to benefit the Cambridge Rotary and the Lamoille Family Center in Morrisville, VT.
Miss Vermont, Chelsea Ingram, will sing the National Anthem.
This year Miss Vermont 2012, Chelsea Ingram, who is also the weekend meteorologist for Fox44 and ABC22 News in Burlington, VT, will sing the national anthem at the start of the Pumpkin Chuckin' competition. Chelsea will also sign some autographs, perhaps sing a few other songs, and talk about her platform issue of heart health.
The festival is a one-day event where Do-It-Yourself mechanical wizards of all ages attempt to launch pumpkins as far as possible with trebuchets, which are medieval siege engines.
The VTPC festival has been growing in size every year. The Science Channel's broadcast of the World Championship Punkin Chunkin on Thanksgiving Day has helped fuel the growth of the sport of pumpkin chucking. Last year fifteen trebuchets from New York and New England competed at the VTPC festival. The pumpkin chuckin' contest, music and picnic atmosphere on a beautiful Vermont family farm makes for an enjoyable fall day that also supports a worthy cause.
Music for this year's festival will be provided by Vermont performers Mike Dunn and Jenn & John, who will be performing periodically from noon to 4pm.
Dave Jordan, founder (and competitor) of the festival says: "This is a fun competition modeled after the Soap Box Derby. The height and weight are limited to make it fair for teams with limited resources. The team that throws a pumpkin the farthest for their height will win best design prize and receive first pick of the prizes".
The festival will have four categories of competition, which also compete against each other for the Best Overall Design, which is the farthest throw for the height of their trebuchet. The four categories are: Lightweight Division, Middleweight Junior Division, Middleweight Open Division, and Heavyweight Division. It costs $7 to enter the competition. For the exact competitive specifications, rules, and entry information please visit the festival's website (http://vtpumpkinchuckin.
Exciting prizes for the competition winners have been donated by the festival sponsors. Prizes include:
- Glider ride for 2 by Stowe Soaring
- Dinner for 2 by Trattoria La Festa in Stowe
- Dinner for 2 at Bee's Knees in Morrisville
- Umiak Outfitters gift certificate
