Annual Pumpkin Regatta expected to be huge!

BY FRED LAWRENCE

The Hants Journal

NovaNewsnow.com

Windsor is the place to be Oct. 14 when the town will be full of spectators and participants during the 9th Annual Windsor/West Hants Pumpkin Regatta.

Logistics Coordinator Van Essa Roberts has been involved with the Regatta for the past six years and said this year “things are shaping up to be another great festival.” Roberts said Town Office and the Dill Farm have been inundated with phone calls from across the continent regarding the event and many local paddlers are placing orders for giant ‘racing’ pumpkins, or Personal Vegetable Craft (PVC) as they have become known.

Over 40 participants are expected to race across Lake Pisiquid this year in the hopes of winning the popular race.

The day will kick off with a ‘Mad Gourd Scavenger Hunt’ scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at Haliburton House Museum. At noon, the streets will be filled with people, floats and a wide assortment of attractions during the Annual Children’s Wish Parade and the Parade of Pumpkin Paddlers. Immediately following the parade, the event that draws between 8-10,000 visitors to the waterfront – the Giant Pumpkin Race - will commence. Immediately following the race, Valley musicians Ken Best and Silverado will perform at the Sam Slick Coachhouse, where a beer garden will also be held.

More events than ever: Roberts

Roberts said this year there are more events planned than ever and more sponsors are on board as the event draws near. “We’ve had so much support from the local business community and from volunteers, it’s amazing. Through the efforts of so many people, the Regatta has become known around the world.

“I recently got a call from Japan for information about our town and the giant pumpkins, so it’s really taking off in a big way and giving Windsor some incredible exposure. It’s just one more thing for the ‘little town of big firsts’ and has really helped to put us on the map in a big way,” she said.

Film crews from the New England Sports Network will be onsite and Bob Bloomer of ‘Glutton for Punishment’ will be present to do a piece for the Food Network and Paperney Films of Los Angeles. CTV, CBC along with provincial and local media outlets will cover the spectacle.

Pumpkin phenomenon

Roberts said the increasing interest in racing giant pumpkins is “spreading around the globe. We’ve had so many calls and our twin town, Coopersville (N.Y.), is hosting their first Annual Pumpkin Regatta this year.”

Roberts said Coopersville started holding a weigh-off and decided to take the event to the next stage and hold races. “People can’t seem to get enough of giant pumpkins and gourds; there’s just something about them that makes people smile,” she said.

The Dill Farm has become a mecca for many people who want to see where the seeds of pumpkin success began. “Howard (Dill) and his family are so accommodating and have really helped to create a lot of buzz and excitement, which is great for the area and the town,” she said.

Clean-up planned

Roberts said the past two years paddlers left their crafts to the elements and the town received some complaints about the disintegrating vegetables laying about the shoreline. “We cleaned them up for six seasons and this year Ernie Smith will be on hand to take away the saturated crafts and have them composted,” she said.

Check The Hants Journal events listings for the array of activities during this year’s Regatta.