PUMPKINS A PLENTY
Third annual Saratoga Giant Pumpkinfest held Sunday
SARATOGASPRINGS, N.Y. >> Pumpkins were aplenty on Sunday at the third annual Saratoga Giant Pumpkinfest.
The 2018 festival, a free and family-friendly event, was held all day on Sunday near the Lincoln Bathhouse in the Saratoga Spa State Park, next to the Spa City Farmer’s Market.
In this new, larger location the festival attracted more attendees than ever, said organizer Ned Chapman of Sunnyside Gardens, where the event took place its first two years.
Dozens of pumpkins, gourds and even a watermelon made it to the contest from Saratoga County, the Capital Region, around New York state and from neighboring states.
Growers got to show off their harvests’ shape and size - with a special emphasis on weight in the competition’s big weigh- off.
Early in the event, Chapman predicted that some of the pumpkins might possibly weigh in at more than 2,000 pounds, a true ton. Last year the largest weighed
more than 1,700 pounds.
Farmers and first-time participants John and Kerry Young of Jericho, Vt. were pleased to be cham- pions in the long gourd category with their extralong Cucuzza squash. “We travel with our weird giant vegetables,” he said, listing off some other contests in which they’ve participated.
In just a few years, the Saratoga Giant Pumpkinfest has become a destina- tion for pumpkin growers from far and wide, along with event- goers seeking some early fall fun.
Organizers estimated that more than 10,000 people visited the 2018 Saratoga Giant PumpkinFest, all eager to get a glimpse of some of the biggest pump- kins they’ve ever seen.
In the future, “The idea going forward is to make this really into a local competition,” Chapman said, adding that there are specific prizes for Saratoga County and Capital Region competitors. “That’s the part that we want to expand on - get the local growers, farmers more involved.”
This fits perfectly with the adjacent Spa City Farmer’s Market, where local growers sell their produce and products on a weekly basis, Chapman said.
“It’s another great event to host in Saratoga to bring literally thousands of people to the community - and it’s great for our local agricultural economy too,” said Todd Shimkus of event partner The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, noting the many local growers involved. “It’s a real celebration of that fall agricultural scene.”