Carving pumpkins is a widely celebrated part of Halloween, but now that the autumn holiday is behind us, there is little use for these orange gourds of fun — that is, unless you attend Delaware’s own 21st annual Punkin Chunkin festivities in their new location east of Bridgeville from Nov. 2 through 4.
Coastal Point • FILE PHOTO
A pumpkin gets shot through the air at last year's event.
For those who have never attended, there’s fun for everyone from dawn to dusk, ranging from concerts featuring national recording artists and pumpkin cooking contests to chili cook-offs, countless vendors selling various foods, numerous divisions for chunking pumpkins, of course, and more than enough space to tailgate with friends and family.
Gates open at 7:30 a.m. daily and are followed almost immediately by pumpkin chunkin’ competition.
Admission costs $7 for adults and $2 per vehicle, though children younger than 10 are admitted free of charge.
For those who purchase concert tickets for Friday evening; admission is included for that day only.
Warner Brothers recording artist Joann Cotten, Equity Music Group recording artist Carolina Rain and Curb recording artist Jo Dee Messina will headline Friday evening’s concert series with hour-long sets, starting at 6 p.m.
Cathy Gorman, the Cherry Bud Band, 5:01 the Band and the Barron Creek Band are scheduled to play both Saturday and Sunday.
Fireworks will be displayed during the Barron Creek Band’s first break, at approximately 8:30 p.m. Saturday evening. Backwoods Blue Grass, the Funsters and Mid-life Crisis are scheduled to play Saturday only, while Tapestry performs Sunday.
Dawn Thompson and the Out of Order Band will perform the Pumpkin Chunkin anthem at approximately 10 a.m. each day of the festival.
For those attending the festival on Saturday, there will be a pumpkin cooking contest starting at 11 a.m., with awards going to those with the original recipes in seven categories: entrees, soups and stews, cookies, candies and snacks, cakes and breads, restaurant owners and professional chef, appetizers, hors d’oeuvres and sauces, deserts and pastries and beverages. Awards will also be given for best presentation, most unique use of pumpkin and the most important — the people’s choice award.
The chili cook-off, featuring recipes with and without pumpkin, begins at 11 a.m. on Sunday, with special awards given for best presentation and people’s choice.
And for those who go to see pumpkins fly, there are 15 divisions, based on the age of the competitors and the type of pumpkin flinging device they’ll use: adult air, adult centrifugal, adult catapult, adult trebuchet, adult human power, adult human power centrifugal, adult torsion catapult, youth 11-17 air, youth 11-17 catapult, youth 11-17 trebuchet”, youth 11-17 human power, youth 10-and-under catapult, youth 10-and-under trebuchet, youth 10-and-under human power and theatrical.
Competition will begin at 8 a.m. daily, and the award ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
Pets are prohibited at Pumpkin Chunkin, for their own safety.
Pumpkins may also want to avoid the area, if possible, for it’s likely they’ll end up either flung to their immanent demise or cooked up in a pot.
Humans, on the other hand, can expect a good time and lots of gourd-flinging fun.
To go
Directions to the new Chunk location: Take Route 9 west to Georgetown. At The Circle, take the first right (Bedford Street) to Route 404 West. At Route 113, turn north to Route 40 (Redden Road); turn left on Redden Road and go west to Chaplin’s Chapel Road. Turn left. The Chunk is straight ahead. For more information, visit the Web site at: www.punkinchunkin.com.