The 38th annual Pumpkinfest is ready to go in Port Elgin this weekend.
The festival celebrates the biggest pumpkins and vegetables that are brought in by growers from all over the province.
Marketing Director Ann-Marie Collins says, “Seeing these thousand-pound plus pumpkins coming in, the squash, the giant tomatoes always amaze me, and then the height of the corn and the sunflowers is also remarkable.”
Pumpkinfest attracts about 50,000 people to the region and has an economic impact on the area worth about $5 million.
The festival features a kiddie carnival area, midway, live music, vendors, pumpkin pie and food booths, a classic car show, expert pumpkin carving, a Global Pet Foods pet show, and plenty of contests.
The main days for Pumpkinfest are Saturday, September 30th, and Sunday, October 1st, but there is a ‘sneak peak’ at the midway Friday night from 5 to 10 p.m.
Last year’s grower with the heaviest pumpkin was Dave McQuay of Delhi. His pumpkin entry weighed in at 1, 888.5 pounds.
The tallest sunflower was grown by John Butler of St. Thomas and measured 332.5 inches or nearly 28 feet tall. Butler also had the tallest corn stalk at 261.5 inches or roughly 22 feet tall.
