Thousands descended on Damariscotta Columbus Day weekend for the 2015 Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta. The celebration, now in its ninth year, hosted visitors from near and far to honor pumpkins with a mix of traditional favorites and a few new surprises.
Following the great pumpkin deployment on Thursday, Oct. 8, festivities got off to a damp start Friday, Oct. 9 as artists and carvers tried to work around the persistent rain to decorate the pumpkins. Some set up tents in an effort to preserve their work, while others decided to wait until the following day.
“I had my first coat down, but the rain washed it away, so I had to start over,” said Nikki Pankowicz, the artist in charge of decorating the pumpkin in front of Mediterranean Kitchen.
Deb Arter said she has been involved with the downtown pumpkin art for as long as the event has been going on. In that time, she has painted pumpkins to look like teacups, rabbits, and candy apples. This year, she painted her pumpkin to resemble one of the purses of her sponsor, Tori Anna Designs.
“The pumpkin tells you what it wants to be,” Arter said.
Pankowicz and Arter are two of the many artists responsible for painting and carving the giant pumpkins scattered throughout the Twin Villages. The pumpkins will remain on display for two weeks following the celebration.
Visitors wandered around downtown Damariscotta, where entertainment and food vendors lined the streets. A block of Water Street was closed off and turned into a kids zone, complete with a bounce house, face painting, and various games and activities.
The Giant Pumpkin Parade was held under sunny skies Saturday afternoon, featuring musical performers, dancers, and floats from local businesses and farms.
The third annual pumpkin derby was held in the Elm Street Plaza parking lot Sunday morning, Oct. 11. Entrants of all ages had the chance to race their pumpkins down the hill in hopes of making it the farthest.
Matthew Libby, of Durham, N.C., has made the trip to Damariscotta for Pumpkinfest since 2010. Each year, he volunteers to stand at the bottom of the track and retrieve the derby pumpkins. This year, Libby fully embraced the spirit of Pumpkinfest and arrived in a bright orange tuxedo.
“My favorite part is the derby, but the entire weekend is just incredible,” Libby said. “Unless you’ve been here to witness it, you won’t understand it.”
The crowd-pleasing pumpkin drop added a new twist this year. In addition to crushing two cars at the Oct. 11 event, a pumpkin weighing more than 1,200 pounds was dropped into a pool at Round Top Farm.
“There are some new things we want to try for the drop next year,” Pumpkinfest co-founder Buzz Pinkham said. “There will definitely be at least one pool again.”
The annual Pumpkinboat Regatta was held in Damariscotta Harbor Columbus Day. For more information, see the story and photos on page 1B of this issue.
The Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary next year, and Pinkham is already thinking of ways to make the event more memorable than usual.
“We always try to add a twist or have a surprise, so we’ll think of something,” Pinkham said.
