Great Pumpkin Classic coming soon

People are being encouraged to grab a giant gourd, prep their paddle and celebrate the start of Vernon’s Fall Festival.

“Since January, local growers have been nurturing giant pumpkins – meaning pumpkins that weigh at least 100 pounds – and now their work is about to pay off,” Ange Chew, Manager of Tourism Vernon said. “Now we’re inviting the public to attend a giant pumpkin weigh-in, followed by The Great Vernon Pumpkin Race at Kin Beach.”

Growers will weigh their pumpkins at Davison Orchards on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 11 a.m. The pumpkins will then be hulled out and turned into boats for a race on Okanagan Lake at Kin Beach on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Pumpkin growers have an option to keep their gourd, race it, or provide it for someone else to race. If extra pumpkins are available to race, they will be offered for corporate sponsorship at a cost of $500 per pumpkin, with all funds going towards the Vernon Starfish Pack program.