The Goffstown Pumpkin Festival

When you hear the words "pumpkin festival" what do you think of?

If you think small town, pumpkin catapults, and a pumpkin regatta than you would be right on.

I mean, any time you see a pumpkin like that in the back of a pick-up truck you know it's going to be a good day, right?

The week before Halloween my family and I made the hour drive to Goffstown where it was pumpin'. We missed the Pumpkin Weigh-in but rumor has it the largest of the pumpkins was over 1400 lbs. That's right. I said 14-HUNDRED.

While cruising Main we stopped to see the equally impressive "Longest Gourd" winner and the Alpacas from a neighboring Alpaca farm. (I bought some gloves which I often wear around our house...) Every local sports team and scout troop had a booth/table where they were raising funds for something. Emily and I supported the Goffstown Fire Department by making a lucky duct-tape pumpkin.

Yes. That is Red Sox duct tape. And yes, everyone is receiving some for Christmas.
We called this our lucky pumpkin. We gave it to Eric since he had to stay home and do homework.

Papa took care of Claire while we duct taped our pumpkin.

At the end of the line was the real action. Anyone could form a "Pumpkin Launching Team." Think of that bean bag game you play at school carnivals and then put your goal out in the middle of the river And you don't throw your bean bag (a pumpkin in this case). You launch it with a water ballon launcher. Epic.

Beyond that was where the giant pumpkins were resting--getting ready for their transformation into sea-worthy vessels to participate in the Pumpkin Regatta to be held the next day, manned by one local fireman per boat.

Our favorite thing to watch was the fireman obstacle course where you had to dress in fireman's gear as fast as you could. Once dressed you ran to the smoking house with buckets of water, throwing it on the roof as you tried to fill the bucket at the bottom of the waterspout.

 Here as some extra pictures from the day: