17th Annual VTPC is just around the corner

Only 10 more days...

Countdown to 17th Annual Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin' Festival

Only 24 more days until the 17th VTPC!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Dave Jordan
phone: (603) 630-4800
email: Djordan@gmavt.net

Charity: Clarina Howard Nichols Center, Morrisville, VT

17th Annual Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival Takes Aim at New World Record in Stowe on September 27

STOWE, Vermont – Sept 3, 2026 – The 17th Annual Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin' Festival returns to the Stowe Events Field on Sunday, September 27, 2026, with competitors aiming to beat a world record distance of 879 feet set in 2024.

Voted USA Today’s best fall festival in the nation, this one-day event celebrates the sport of hurling pumpkins for distance using do-it-yourself, gravity-powered trebuchets. Part Soap Box Derby and part track-and-field shot put, the festival offers an incredible opportunity for kids, adults, and amateur builders to design custom catapults and engage in a family-friendly competition.

All festival proceeds directly benefit the Clarina Howard Nichols Center, a dedicated organization working to end domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking, and stalking in Lamoille County.

The festival gates open at 11:00 AM and run until 4:00 PM at 120 Weeks Hill Rd., Stowe, Vermont. The thrilling trebuchet competition features three rounds of chuckin' scheduled for 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM, and 2:30 PM, with an awards ceremony immediately following the final round.

Teams will compete across four distinct divisions:

• Heavyweight
• Middleweight Open
• Middleweight Junior
• Lightweight

Participants will compete for a portion of the $800 total prize pool in the hurling contest. In each of the four hurling divisions, the top three competitors will secure cash payouts: division winners take home $100, while second and third-place finishers earn $50 and $25, respectively. A $100 cash prize is also awarded for the best overall design.

Admission and Event Details:

Tickets: Admission is $10 per person. Children aged 5 and under are free.
Parking: Parking is free, including available handicap parking.
Amenities: Seating is not provided; attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets.
Restrictions: No dogs, outside food, or outside beverages are allowed on the festival grounds.

Chili Cookoff Challenge:

Festival admission is entirely free for anyone who enters the popular Chili Cookoff. To participate, contestants must bring two gallons of chili in a crockpot to the festival grounds by 11:30 AM. Attendees can purchase tasting tickets to sample the competing entries and vote for their favorites. The top three chili chefs will take home cash prizes of $100 for 1st place, $50 for 2nd place, and $25 for 3rd place.

Beyond the trebuchet action, the festival grounds will be packed with a vibrant array of autumn activities. Festival-goers can feast on local flavors from six premier food trucks and shop a diverse craft fair featuring over 40 local artisans. Providing the soundtrack for the day is a live musical lineup featuring performances by OK Commuter and John Smyth. Families can also enjoy dedicated children's activities, alongside a high-stakes volleyball tournament showcasing the top players from across the state.

INFO: Specifications, rules and entry information can be found on the festival blog at VTPumpkinChuckin.blogspot.com or contact the festival organizer at Djordan@gmavt.net.

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Results of the 16th Annual VT Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival

 🎃 Results of the 16th Annual Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival — September 28, 2025

Under blue skies and warm sunshine, the Stowe Events Field came alive for the 16th Annual Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival — and what a day it was! Thousands gathered to celebrate Vermont’s most unique fall tradition of trebuchet-powered pumpkin hurling, friendly competition, local food, music, and family fun.

This year’s festival featured 12 teams of pumpkin chuckers with 14 trebuchets, 6 chili cook-off competitors, 22 volleyball teams, 8 food vendors, 38 craft vendors, 33 business sponsors, and 50 incredible volunteers. A record-breaking 2,500 spectators joined the festivities — making this the biggest year yet.

Together, we raised $40,557 for the Clarina Howard Nichols Center, a Lamoille County nonprofit dedicated to ending domestic and sexual violence. The funds came from entrance fees, sponsorships, merchandise sales, the chili cook-off, craft fair vendor fees, and generous on-site donations. Huge thanks to Executive Director Becky Gonyea and her team for organizing and running the festival for the seventh consecutive year!

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🏆 Highlights & Competition Results

A New Champion in the Heavyweight Division

Three-time defending champion Jonathan Stapleton — holder of the world record throw of 879 feet — brought his famous 450-pound counterweighted trebuchet to defend his title. But in a dramatic twist, his machine’s arm snapped on the first launch, paving the way for Vermont State University–Randolph captain Keith Carrara to seize victory and claim the Heavyweight Division title!

Grand Prize: Best Design

Even after his heavyweight heartbreak, Jonathan Stapleton still earned top honors for Best Design, thanks to his Merlin-style trebuchet in the Middleweight Division, which achieved a scaled distance of 647 feet. This marks Stapleton’s fourth Grand Prize, the most in festival history!

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🎯 Division Winners

Lightweight Open Division
🥇 Roger Duhamel — “Old Man’s Bucket List II”

Middleweight Junior Division
🥇 Douglas Kussius — “Mango Tango”
🥈 Caleb Bourdeau — “Let It Fly”

Middleweight Open Division
🥇 Jonathan Stapleton — “Merlin” (also Best Design)
🥈 Tyler Barnard — “Just Keep Chuckin’”
🥉 Jonathan Stapleton — “Merlin CVT”

Heavyweight Division
🥇 Keith Carrara — Vermont State University (Randolph) “Pumpkin Chucker”
🥈 Nicholas Helms — “5.2”

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⚙️ How the Scoring Works

All trebuchets compete within height and weight limits for fairness. Exceeding those limits results in adjusted distances — so precision engineering matters as much as raw power! The coveted Best Design award is determined by scaling each division’s winning throw based on height ratios, ensuring that every trebuchet, big or small, competes on equal footing.

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👷‍♂️ Honoring Our Veteran Builders

After sixteen years, the festival proudly recognizes the dedicated builders who keep the pumpkins flying year after year:

• Nicholas Helms (VT) – Competed in 15 of 16 festivals, known for his inventive designs and medieval flair.

• The Stapleton Family (VT) – Eleven-time competitors; the innovative “walking arm” design has dominated since 2016.

• Dave Jordan (VT) – Organizer and ten-time competitor (and occasional accidental vertical launcher!).

• Don & Chris Jordan (NY) – Nine-time competitors and 2014 Best Design winners.

• Steve & Steven McCann (ME) – Nine appearances, multiple wins, and unmatched enthusiasm.

• Ray & Ed Chamberlain (NH) – Eight-time competitors, including 2017’s Best Design winner.

• Chris McGrody (NH) – Seven appearances; first heavyweight to win Best Design (2015).

• Tim Brown & Family (MA) – Seven-time competitors and pioneers of team t-shirts!

• And many more — including repeat winners and creative newcomers who embody the spirit of friendly engineering and fall fun.

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🌶️ Chili Cook-Off Champions

With six delicious entries, attendees sampled five chili recipes for $5 and cast their votes:
🥇 Carter Peck — #5 ($100)
🥈 Ann Brever — #6 ($50)
🥉 Eric Halperin — #2 ($25)

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🏐 Volleyball Tournament

The Fourth Annual Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin’ Invitational Volleyball Quads Tournament, organized by Bill Orleans of Green Mountain Volleyball, drew 22 top-tier teams from Vermont, New York, and Montreal.
🥇 Ryan Rabidou, Kevin Devine, Taj Schottland, and Nick Pizzuti

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🍴 Food, Crafts & Music

Festivalgoers enjoyed delicious eats from Hook & Peel Pizza, El Gato Cantina, Maharaja Spice, The Better Kettle, Mediterranean Mix, Street Treats Ice Cream, and Jenna’s Promise Roasting Co.

The 2nd Annual Craft Fair featured 38 talented artisans, offering everything from pottery and maple products to photography, jewelry, and woodworking.

Music filled the air all day with John Smyth’s singer-songwriter set opening the morning, followed by the upbeat rhythms of Ok Commuter, keeping the energy high as pumpkins soared.

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🐢 Dolores the Tortoise Returns!

Beloved local celebrity Dolores the Tortoise, along with her owner Kelly Goosecock, delighted attendees for the third year in a row. She remains the festival’s only official animal guest!

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🙏 Thank You to Our Volunteers & Sponsors

This festival thrives thanks to our 50 dedicated volunteers who made everything possible — from setup and cleanup to parking, kids’ activities, and measuring those all-important throws. Special thanks to announcer John Prittie and the youth volunteers from Peoples Academy and Stowe High School.

Heavyweight Sponsors

Community National Bank • Fidium Fiber • Maggie McLeod Macdonald Fund • Nichols & Bates, P.C. • Three Mountain Roofing

Middleweight Sponsors

10 Railroad Street • Coldwell Banker Carlson Real Estate • Donald P. Blake Jr. Inc. • In Company • Johnson Hardware & Rental • Piecasso Family Pizzeria • Smugglers’ Notch Resort • Union Bank • Vermont Community Foundation • Vermont Electric Cooperative

Lightweight Sponsors

Bourne’s Energy • Casella Waste Systems • Commodities Natural Market • Edward Jones – Caren Merson • El Gato Cantina • Hook & Peel Mobile Pizza Kitchen • Huard Family Farm • Laraway Youth and Family Services • Leaves of Change Vermont • Maharaja Spice • Manufacturing Solution Inc • Mediterranean Mix • Sana at Stowe • Street Treats Ice Cream • The Better Kettle • The Country Store on Main • Trombley & Day Group • Two Sons Bakehouse

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📅 Save the Date: September 27, 2026

Mark your calendars! The 17th Annual Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, September 27, 2026, at the Stowe Events Field. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates as the date approaches.

For more details:
📧 Dave Jordan – Festival Organizer
📰 Blog: VTPumpkinChuckin.blogspot.com
📩 Email: Djordan@gmavt.net

The 16th VTPC was awesome - Thank you!

 

Happy Pumpkin Chuckin' Day

Our 16th Annual Pumpkin Chuckin' Festival is about to begin shortly. The weather looks great and the gates are about to open, so we hope to see you all here at Stowe Events Field, 120 Weeks Hill Rd., in Stowe, Vermont. Parking is free. Let's have a great day.

Today at 11 am 

16th Annual Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin' Festival

120 Weeks Hill Rd., Stowe, VT, United States, Vermont 05672

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The Countdown to 16th Annual Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin' Festival

There are now only 6 days remaining until our 16th Annual Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin' Festival on Sunday, September 28th.

We want to highlight a few features of this year's festival that enhance the experience of coming to Stowe on Sunday.

Our Craft Fair is again fully loaded with outstanding crafters that you will enjoy.

The Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival Chili Cook-Off!

To compete - Bring two gallons of chili (and a crock pot to keep it warm) to the event by 11:30am. 

Beginning at noon, event attendees pay $5 to taste samples of the chili and vote for their favorite. The top three vote-getters receive cash prizes of $100, $50, and $25.

The $10 event entrance fee is waived for chili competitors.