Lions Club Pumpkins Are Ready To Roll

Where can you find scary, beautiful, and well-decorated pumpkins while at the same time you can watch large and small pumpkins careen down a hill for prizes? In Connecticut, only at the Third Annual Great Pumpkin Race.

Newtown Lions Club will present this year’s big event Saturday, October 20, from 10 am until 2 pm, at Edmond Town Hall.

Spectators are welcome and there is no admission charge to watch the races or any of the planned performances; fee for the pumpkin decorating and pumpkin racing contests is $5 for each.

Because the Lions hope that some of the decorated pumpkins will also want to run in the races, the  decorating contest will be judged first. Divisions will be age 8 and under, 9–12, 13–17, and 18 and older.

Races will begin next. Pumpkin racers — pumpkins on wheels — can be large or small but must be on four wheels and have an axle that goes through the body of the pumpkin. Pumpkins may not be on trays,  skates, or skateboards.

For those who find constructing a racer too challenging but would like to participate, a limited number of racers  have been constructed by the club and can be purchased for $15 each. Supplies are limited, so first-come, first-served on the racers that will be available for purchase.

Because of the volume of entries, there undoubtedly will be run offs and, finally, one grand prize winner.  The prize winner will be challenged by Lion Tom Evagash, who says he has built a racer that can’t be beat. Mr Evagash is willing to fork over $25 if his racer loses to the grand prize winner.

Periodically breaking up the races will be two demonstrations. At 11:30, members of The Newtown Juggling and Circus Arts Group will demonstrate the fine art of juggling — with pumpkins, of course. At 12:30 a dance team from The Lathrop School of Dance will perform.

While the races are going on, Don Ramsey and Mark Machaud will demonstrate the medieval-style trebuchet they built several years ago and will fire pumpkins into the air. There will also be an opportunity to try your hand at pumpkin bowling (this year with real pumpkins), and Newtown Savings Bank  will provide bales of hay in which kids can find buried treasures.

Rounding out the day will be the drawing for the Lions Club Annual Mustang Raffle, at 1 pm.

Free cider and doughnuts will be provided by Blue Jay Orchards, and Knights of Columbus members will be grilling hamburgers and hot dogs (for purchase).

Aside from The Great Pumpkin Race there is another upcoming pumpkin event, a very worthy one. Resident Mackenzie Page is again sponsoring an enormous display of jack-o’-lanterns at her home at 14 Main Street. The Lions Club will be encouraging race participants to save their pumpkins and bring them to Mackenzie’s home next weekend (October 27–28).

Mackenzie, 14, is requesting a $5 donation for each pumpkin going into her second annual Great Pumpkin Challenge display, but all money goes to charity. Funds will be equally divided between The Hole in the Wall Gang, Paul Newman’s nonprofit organization, and Mackenzie’s young friend Zoe, who is undergoing very expensive treatment for a rare form of brain cancer.