A ‘gourd’ time as Pumpkinfest weighs-in with family fun

Story and photos by Sharon Harrison
It was a gourd day in Wellington Saturday, and a very packed one, with brilliant fall foliage indicating the time of year for the annual Prince Edward County Pumpkinfest, followed by the equally world-famous Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off.

The morning started off under a misty and overcast sky that soon cleared to reveal plenty of sunshine and blue sky in time for the parade, and the event basked in warm temperatures for most of the day.

The parade travelled its usual route from the arena, west along Main Street, before looping back to the arena via Consecon Street.

It included a marching band (the Napanee and District Pipe Band), several community groups, the County Ukulele Band, the Wellington Dukes, the First Picton Girl Guides, Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Search and Rescue, and CML Snider School, among the many participants.

Attendees carved out time to attend festivities, where the distinct theme of orange permeated throughout the village, where for a few hours at least, life seemed ‘gourd’ in this part of the world, and where expectations were smashed, if the laughter and the smiles were anything to go by.

Everything was pumpkin-related, from pumpkins for carving and decorating, to pumpkin pies (for eating), to pumpkin hats (for wearing), pumpkins (for playing with) along with many other pumpkins and gourds, especially the enormous kind (for admiring).

The school lawn was packed with activities for the children with a petting zoo (with giant bunnies, little piggies, lambs and goats, chickens and ducks and geese, a cow and more), a kids’ zone, a big inflatable castle spaceship thing for crawling through, face painting and a balloon artist.

And there were lawn games galore, from harvest bowling, corn toss, ringers, pumpkin sweep ‘n’ roll, pumpkin match, tic tac toe and sack throw.

The park also featured live music, axe throwing, vendors and food trucks, with more vendors at the regular Saturday market in the church parking lot. And at the Anglican church across the road, there was a bric-a-brac sale on the lawn, and craft vendors inside the hall, and photos with minions, along with countless other activities found around and about the village.

Several new parents took advantage of the very cute “baby in a pumpkin” photo opportunity (bring your own baby), including five-month-old Brayden Radoykov, who brought his parents to Pumpkinfest for the day, from Oshawa.

Now in its 28th year, the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off organized by the Prince Edward County Pumpkin Growers Association, was at the CML Snider School parking lot and brought lots of gourd vibes. Some were caught ‘off-gourd’ by the sight of some very giant and mind-bogglingly big vegetables.

While giant pumpkins traditionally come in a deep orange colour, there were also creamy white pumpkins, pale orange too, and even those with a pale green hue.

But, of course, everyone knows that pumpkins aren’t vegetables at all. Neither are they squash or gourds, but they are related. Pumpkins, whether giant, tiny or regular-sized, carved or not, are technically (scientifically), a fruit.

There were still plenty of giant vegetables at the weigh-off however, such as giant tomatoes (also still technically a fruit), giant cabbages, giant chilies, giant squash, giant rutabagas, giant melon (also a fruit, although some can be classified as vegetables), and they too struck a ‘gourd’ with many because of their wondrous giant sizes and shapes.

Wails of “Oh my gourd!” were heard out loud, as others expressed “gourdness gracious!” at what was before them, a first-time experience for some families visiting the annual event who were quite unaware vegetables (or fruit) even grew so big, or so tall.

Many cash awards were given out, to local growers and farmers, but also those from farther afield, where growers shared a few of their tips (but not all) for successful giant pumpkin growing. Where it seems you must start off with very good pedigree of seed, and then it’s good soil, tons of compost, tons of water, lots of love, fertilizer and maybe a few other tightly-held secret ingredients.

And while Pumpkinfest is intended to very much be a fun, family-friendly event, the weigh-off is also a serious affair for many growers, yet the rivalry is always friendly, as comradeship is enjoyed among growers.

And for those who didn’t break any personal or local (or world) records with their attempts at the growing things of giant proportions, there was nothing but ‘gourd’ intentions and plenty of ‘gourd’ cheer shown, where a smashing ‘gourd’ time was had by all it seems – even the Hercules aircraft that circled overhead a few times during the afternoon.

The scale read 2,022.5 pounds for the heaviest giant pumpkin of the day grown by Jim and Kelsey Bryson from Ormstown, with nine others ranging from 367 pounds, right up to 1724.5 pounds in the category.

2024 Pumpkinfest Results:

Giant Pumpkins
1st Place Heaviest Pumpkin – Jim and Kelsey Bryson Ormstown, QC 2022.5 lbs
2nd Place Heaviest Pumpkin – Dave Pitura, Merrickville, ON 1724.5 lbs
3rd Place Heaviest Pumpkin – Todd Kline, Shawville, QC 1653.5 lbs
4th Place Heaviest Pumpkin – Jim Reid, Martintown, ON 1368 lbs
5th Place Heaviest Pumpkin – Mark Fox, Cornwall, ON 1310 lbs
6th Place Heaviest Pumpkin – Nick Body, Martintown, ON 1221.5 lbs
7th Place Heaviest Pumpkin – Norm Kyle, Ennismore, ON 1086 lbs
8th Place Heaviest Pumpkin – Dean Hickey, Godfrey, ON 1012 lbs
9th Place Heaviest Pumpkin – Travis Farrell, Shelburne, ON 958 lbs
10th Place Heaviest Pumpkin – Dan Barlow, Kingston, ON 367 lbs
11th Place Heaviest Pumpkin – Payden Guernsey, Picton, ON 300.5 lbs
12th Place Heaviest Pumpkin – Matt Brigden, Wolfe Island, ON 47 lbs

Giant Squash
1st Place Heaviest Giant Squash – Harley Sproule Ormstown, QC 990.5 lbs
2nd Place Heaviest Giant Squash – Todd Kline, Shawville, QC 961 lbs
3rd Place Heaviest Giant Squash – Nick Body, Martintown, ON 672.5 lbs

Giant Field Pumpkin
1st Place Heaviest Field Pumpkin – Jim Reid Martintown, ON 102 lbs
2nd Place Heaviest Field Pumpkin – Mark Fox, Cornwall, ON 96.5 lbs
3rd Place Heaviest Field Pumpkin – Nick Body, Martintown, ON 92.5 lbs
4th Place Heaviest Field Pumpkin – Todd Kline, Shawville, ON 87.5 lbs
5th Place Heaviest Field Pumpkin – Travis Farrell, Shelbourne, ON 69 lbs
6th Place Heaviest Field Pumpkin – Norm Kyle, Ennismore, ON 43.5 lbs
7th Place Heaviest Field Pumpkin – Brian DeVisser, ON 43 lbs

Giant Tomato
1st Place Heaviest Tomato – Pat Watson, Komoka, ON 4.42 lbs
2nd Place Heaviest Tomato – Todd Kline, Shawville, ON 3.70 lbs
3rd Place Heaviest Tomato – Norm Kyle, Ennismore, ON 1.31 lbs

Giant Watermelon
1st Place Heaviest Watermelon – Chris Bell, Consecon, PEC 18.5 lbs

Tall Sunflower
1st Place Tallest Sunflower – Nick Body, Martintown, ON 248 in
2nd Place Tallest Sunflower – Norm Kyle, Ennismore, ON 184 in
3rd Place Tallest Sunflower – Brian DeVisser, Johnstown, ON 149.5 in

Long Gourd – 2024 Feature Giant Vegetable
1st Place Long Gourd – Todd Kline Shawville, QC 130.25 in.
2nd Place Long Gourd – Norm Kyle Ennismore, ON 96.75 in.

Giant Cabbage
1st Place Heaviest Giant Cabbage – Brian DeVisser, Johnstown, ON 44 lbs
2nd Place Heaviest Giant Cabbage – Jim Reid, Martintown, ON 18.5 lbs
3rd Place Heaviest Giant Cabbage – Mark Fox, Cornwall ON 11.5 lbs

Giant Rutabaga
1st Place Heaviest Rutabaga – Brian DeVisser, Johnstown, ON 41.5 lbs
2nd Place Heaviest Rutabaga – Pat Watson, Komoka, ON 6.68 lbs
3rd Place Heaviest Rutabaga – Chis Bell, Consecon, PEC 2.46 lbs

Heavy Carrot
1st Place Heaviest Carrot – Chris Bell, Consecon, PEC 2.41 lbs

Sunflower Head
1st Place Largest Sunflower Head – Norm Kyle, Ennismore, ON 15.5 in

Long Chilli
1st Place Longest Chilli Pepper – Chris Bell, Consecon, PEC, ON 13.5 in