14th RR pumpkin fest is this Saturday

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Have you ever seen a 1,000 lb. pumpkin? Well this Saturday might just be the day you do as the 14th Annual Rainy River Valley Giant Pumpkin Festival returns to Rainy River.
While the abnormally cool nights this summer are rumoured to have hampered the growing of mammoth pumpkins this year, event organizer Eltjo Wiersema said Thursday that there are still some big ones out there and that they should still be crowd pleasers.
Since the area that past competitors have travelled from ranges as far as five hours to the east and a few hours in all other directions, growing seasons can vary greatly. The record weights for Rainy River’s annual pumpkin festival are all held by Thunder Bay area growers. The largest weighed in at 1,173 lbs. in 2006 and was grown by Ben Johnson of Kakabeka Falls, Ont. The next largest was grown by Don Cronk of Thunder Bay, Ont. at 1,032 lbs.
Last year Johnson did not quite break the 1,000 lbs. mark but won with a 902 pounder.
Wiersema said that he has not heard from the Thunder Bay growers and feels that no news is good news. Locally he said that many growers are secretive and won’t reveal how big their pumpkins are. Even Wiersema was vague about his own saying, “They are big but not nearly as big as I would like!”
He noted that the festival has a few changes this year including a redistribution of prize values. “We have boosted the junior grower prizes.” 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Jr. category will receive $100, $50 and $25 respectively.
Top adult growers will receive $1,000, $500 and $100 respectively. Those amounts are the same.
There is also prizes for pumpkins nearest to 100 lbs. ($50), 200 lbs. ($50), 300 lbs. ($75), 400 lbs. ($100) and 500 lbs. ($100).
There are prizes for Rookie of the Year, Ugliest Pumpkin, Most Attractive Pumpkin, Oddest Overall Vegetable, Best Pumpkin Pie/Dessert and Guess the Weight of a Pumpkin.
The event begins Saturday with a pancake breakfast, hosted by the Forest Women’s Institute, from 8-10 a.m. Then a 5k walk/run at 9 a.m. from the Rainy River Arena will be held.
A farmers market will be held in the arena from 10 a.m. for the duration of the festival.
Registration for pumpkins then starts at 10 a.m. for pumpkin entries. Children’s Activities, hosted by the Rainy River Toy Library Inc. begins at 11 a.m. A potluck lunch is at 12:30 p.m. in the arena. Weigh-offs begin at 1:00 p.m. with the awards ceremony to follow at 2:30.
Wiersema said that another new thing to the festival is that they will be charging an admission this year for the first time ever. The $2 entry fee will be all donated to the Rainy River Recreation Board for arena improvements.
Last year there were 37 pumpkins entered and Wiersema said that all sizes of pumpkins should be entered as there is a prize for hidden weight ($100).