HUTCHINSON – How far can a pumpkin fly? Find out at the first Hutchinson Center for the Arts PumpkinFest Saturday, Oct. 29 at Crow River Winery on Rt. 7 just outside of Hutchinson. A pumpkin chuckin competition is just one part of the family fall festival. The afternoon will include pumpkin painting and other arts and crafts for the kids, a pumpkin baking contest, a pumpkin carving contest, a costume parade, arts and crafts demonstrations, a bean bag toss competition, historic games with the McLeod County Historical Museum, fall food, a Daisy Drop and even pumpkin wine tasting from Crow River Winery.

The chuckers will launch pumpkins at 3 p.m. Trebuchets and catapults will fling 8 to 10 pound pumpkins into the corn field behind the winery. The competition is open to anyone willing to try. Build a catapult, trebuchet or even an air cannon to join the pumpkin flinging or just watch the chuckers and get ideas for next year.

“Pumpkin chuckin is a great way to learn about math, physics and engineering,” said Kathy Wnoroski, director of the Hutchinson Center for the Arts. “Next year we will be challenging local high schools and colleges to compete for scholarship money.”

“Building a catapult is also a good team building exercise. Boy Scout troops can work together as a team with their parents and enter the contest,” Wnoroski continued.

The styles of catapults and trebuchets that are used in pumpkin chuckin are endless. Plans and ideas, as well as videos from the national pumpkin chuckin competition in DE can be found online.

Anyone interested in joining in this year’s competition should email Wnoroski at the arts center at [email protected] for specific rules and guidelines.

PumpkinFest will also feature the first Hutchinson appearance of the Pumpkinators – a kids’ rock band that will get kids of all ages on their feet and dancing to fun Halloween tunes such as Monster Mash.

PumpkinFest is a fund-raiser for the new Hutchinson Center for the Arts. Admission will be a $5 donation per person to the arts center and includes the arts and crafts projects for the kids and the Pumpkinators concert. Food from Joanie’s Catering and wine from Crow River Winery will be available for purchase.

Non profit organizations, schools and fraternal groups are invited to join in the festivities. Crafters and artisans are invited to set up booths for a $25 donation. To set up a booth, contest or activity at PumpkinFest email [email protected].

A schedule of events, and entry information for the baking and pumpkin carving contest will be online at the art center’s website at www.HutchinsonArts.org by Oct. 1.