Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta
Friday - Monday, October 11-14, 2024
(404)
Damariscotta, ME
04543
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Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta is a uniquely spirited event that provides education to young and old, and also an economic boost to this rural, coastal community. Our intent is to expand annually, as has been the case since our inception in 2007.
Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta is an innovative program that promotes horticultural education to gardeners of all ages regarding the specific agricultural science required to grow Atlantic Giant Pumpkins. This program culminates each year in a family-oriented festival, held for ten days in early October through Columbus Day weekend, to showcase the pumpkin growers achievements in a number of creative ways. Damariscotta is a small Maine town whose economic basis is fishing and tourism. Each year Pumpkinfest attracts between 10-15,000 visitors providing a substantial influx of commerce to the area.
The educational mission of Pumpkinfest is accomplished in a number of ways. Each Spring, 50 third-grade students at local Great Salt Bay School volunteer their time to fill 600 pots with soil and amendments for each year’s seeds. More than 400 volunteer-growers grow those plants which are distributed free of charge during “Seedling Sunday”. Detailed, written growing instructions are provided during that event, plus monthly “Pumpkinfest newsletter” tips and techniques. In addition, horticultural presentations are given to intergenerational partnerships of retirees and local school children who are interested in learning about growing giant pumpkins.
Quantifiable pumpkin evaluation measures include weight data collected at the annual October weigh-off – which is officially sanctioned by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC). Detailed data is collected on the genetics of the free Atlantic Giant Pumpkin plants which are distributed each Spring at Seedling Sunday, and which then return to the weigh-off in October as 200-1,400 pound pumpkins. Seeds from the largest, hardiest pumpkins are dried & planted in the subsequent year, for the purpose of high grading the overall stock.
