Wedding-Related Information: Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta

Since so many people (even our Maine guests) are not located in the general area of Walpole, Maine, a lot of people will be making a bit of a drive (or, more often, flight) to the area for our wedding.  Thankfully, if you decide to get to the area ahead of the wedding, you can rest assured that you won't be lacking entertainment.  Unbeknownst to Katelyn and me, the nearby town of Damariscotta, Maine holds an annual Pumpkinfest & Regatta, with events typically beginning the weekend before Columbus Day weekend and wrapping up on Columbus Day itself.  Since our wedding is taking place on Columbus Day weekend in 2010, the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta will be in full swing, so check out this post for a better idea of what you can expect if you come to the area looking for something to do.

Note: The images in the post were not taken by me; they come from the photo gallery at http://www.damariscottapumpkinfest.com/pumpkinfestGallery.html.  If the photo owners object to my use of these images, please contact me and I will remove them.  Thanks!


One of the neat things about the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta is that there is a lot to offer in terms of events.  This year (2009), the event started off on Sunday, October 4th with the Round-Up and Weigh-Off, where farmers from all around Maine show up with giant pumpkins to see who has brought in the largest pumpkin of the year.  This year saw a new record set by Elroy Morgan and his wife Missy, who grew a 1,210 pound pumpkin.

(Phyllis Guss Photo)

You may have noticed the "Regatta" in the event title, and that's because beginning on Thursday, October 8th and going through Sunday, October 11th, people were building pumpkin boats; that's right, boats made out of large pumpkins.  On Sunday the 11th, there were two "classes" of races; those with pumpkin paddleboats and those with motorized pumpkin boats.  While we weren't able to stick around and watch, the locals assured us that it is quite the highlight of the weekend to see who can avoid getting wet as they brave the cold water in an oversized gourd.

On Saturday, October 10th, the Pumpkinfest & Regatta also featured some cool events, such as Pumpkin "Chunkin" (where pumpkins are catapulted for distance), a Giant Pumpkin Parade, a Pumpkin Dessert Contest, Underwater Pumpkin Carving, and the "Second Running of the Alewives", which apparently has something to do with the fish alewives and a fundraiser in the area.  Unfortunately for those of you coming for the wedding, this will be the day of the wedding if the schedule stays the same for next year; sorry!

On Sunday, October 11th, another slate of events was held.  There was a Pumpkin Pancake Breakfast (yum!), more Pumpkin Catapult and Chunk'n, and a Pie Eating Contest.  These could be fun events for anybody stick around the area at this time.  Then, for people sticking around through Monday, this past Columbus Day featured a 150 foot Pumpkin Drop, where giant pumpkins were raised by a crane and then dropped onto old cars.  Again, we weren't in the area for this, but watching the footage on the local news certainly made us wish that we had been!

(Yes, that is a pumpkin about mid-drop.  Poor car.)

It's not just the events, however.  The entire downtown of Damariscotta gives itself over to the spirit of the festival, and local businesses have giant carved pumpkins in front of their storefronts for people to photograph.

Even as a native Mainer, I had never really been to Damariscotta or the surrounding area until our wedding venue search brought us to Clark's Cove Farm in Walpole.  Through complete blind luck, we've just so happened to get our dream venue on the same weekend as a huge and entertaining festival in the area.  Of course, this does mean that traffic gets backed up in downtown Damariscotta, and unless you're coming from the north (and only a handful of you will be) you won't have any choice but to drive through downtown Damariscotta to get to Walpole.  This is something you'll want to keep in mind if you're leaving the day of the wedding to get to Clark's Cove Farm, although we do have a year ahead of us to try and figure out alternate routes to possibly avoid the busy sections.

YouTube Video Links from past Pumpkinfest & Regatta Events
Pumpkin Drop on Car
Pumpkin Catapult
Pumpkinfest Regatta Montage

More information and pictures of the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta can be found at the event's official website, http://www.damariscottapumpkinfest.com/, as well as at the official blog (also located on Blogger) at http://damariscottapumpkinfest.blogspot.com/.  The official website and blog are also good sources of information about other area events and attractions, as well as lodging and dining options while you're in the area.