Lions Club Promise: Great Pumpkin Race Will Enliven Halloween Weekend

Newtowners, mark your calendar for October 30. If you do so, the Newtown Lions Club assures you that you will have a memorable day. From 1 to 4 pm that afternoon, the Lions Club will present its inaugural Great Pumpkin Race for fun-loving Newtowners of all ages.

Many events will enliven the afternoon, which will take place behind Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street. The main event will be the running of pumpkin races. Contestants may be of any age and the pumpkins may be of any size. Skies are unlimited as to how you design your racer.

The one rule is that two axles must go through the pumpkins and the pumpkin cannot be placed on skates or skate boards. There will be prizes in each age category and one grand prize for the pumpkin that wins the most heats.

The Lions strongly encourage people to construct their racers at home and bring them ready to run. However, if parents or kids are having a great deal of trouble constructing their racers, Lions will be available to help get the pumpkins ready on the day of the race.

“I’m looking for families to come, take part in our various activities and really enjoy the Halloween atmosphere,” said Ryan Storms, who is co-chair of the event.

Another event of the Great Pumpkin Race will be the firing of the medieval trebuchet (“tre-byu-SHAY”). Designed and constructed two years ago by Newtown Middle School technology education instructor Don Ramsey and Mark Michaud, the father of a then-Newtown Middle School student and an NMS educational assistant, it will be brought out of hibernation and set up to fire a few pumpkins in honor of the day.

Still another event will be the judging of decorated pumpkins. Contestants may be of any age and the pumpkins may be of any size. Creativity is strongly encouraged. Pumpkins will be judged in three categories: funniest, scariest, and best decorated.

The Lions want Newtown’s best bakers to be part of the festive day as well. Therefore, they have organized a pumpkin pie contest. A panel of expert judges will be assigned the task of tasting the entries, which will be limited to 20 so get your application in early.

Applications for the pie baking contest as well as the races and decorating contests will be available online at NewtownLions.com.

Although costumes are not required, the Lions encourage people to wear them for the parade of costumes.