Great Pumpkin Race Returns Saturday

Newtown Lions Club will present its Second Annual Great Pumpkin Race on Saturday, October 29. Students from Lathrop School of Dance have signed on to offer performances during the event, which will run from 11 am until 2 pm in the parking lot behind Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street.

Rain date will be Sunday, October 30, during the same time frame.

The Great Pumpkin Race is a family-friendly event that offers fun and prizes for a number of competitions.

First up is the decoration contest, with prizes to be given for the Funniest Pumpkin, Scariest Pumpkin, and Best Decorated Pumpkin. Pumpkins will be judged by age category (age 8 and under, 9-12, 13-17, and 18 and older). There is a $5 entry fee for this competition.

Next will be tasting and judging of apple and pumpkin pies. This competition is open to the general public, but not to professional bakers or home economists. All entries must be baked at home from scratch. Bakers can use fresh or canned fruit, but crusts must be made from scratch.

Two pies must be submitted with each entry. One will be used for judging, and the other will be auctioned off.

Pies need to be delivered to town hall’s parking lot between 10:30 and 11:15 that morning, along with each baker’s entry form (visit www.NewtownLions.com for entry forms) and a card with the recipe on it.

Pies will be judged by appearance, crust and taste, beginning at 11:30. Judges are Sharon Martoch, Aaron Cox, Sue Short, and Miss Teen Connecticut Taylor Gallagher.

“We have some very nice prizes for the winners,” promises Pie Contest Chair Gary Tannenbaum. 

Then comes the main event of the day: The Great Pumpkin Race

Pumpkins may be of any size but must be mounted on four wheels with two axles going through the pumpkin. They may not be mounted on skates or skateboards.

Lions encourage parents and kids to make their own racers so they can try them out in advance. For those who cannot quite get a racer together, however, the club will have ten racers put together in advance that can be purchased for $10.

Races will be run in the same age categories as the decorating contests, with prizes to be awarded.

Please note there is also a $5 entry fee per pumpkin racer.

In addition to all this, there will be the performances by Lathrop School of Dance students. The Annual Lions Club Classic Mustang raffle will conclude on October 29, with the lucky winner’s name to be drawn that afternoon.

Also new will be a treasure hunt in bales of hay, sponsored by Newtown Savings Bank, as well as a pumpkin bowling contest.

During the festivities a medieval style trebuchet made by Newtown Middle School industrial arts teacher Don Ramsey, and his classes with town father Mark Machaud, will be rolled out again. Popular during last year’s Great Pumpkin Race, the trebuchet will be periodically firing pumpkins supplied by Steve Paproski of Castle Hill Farm into the woods.

Free cider and doughnuts will be provided by Blue Jay Orchards, while additional refreshments will also be available for purchase thanks to Katherine’s Kitchen of Sandy Hook.

Finally, everyone is encouraged to attend in costume.

“The Newtown Lions Club is looking forward to hosting a fun family event to celebrate the fall,” said Ryan Storms, who is co-chairing this year’s race with Gordon Williams.

Additional information is available at the club’s website, www.NewtownLions.com.