It’s the season to bask in colour and embrace the chill in the air. Each year, as the Pembina Valley settles into this beautiful stretch, the Roland Pumpkin Fair sits at the centre of the area's beloved autumnal traditions.
An annual affair
Lisa Pinkerton is the secretary for the Roland Pumpkin Fair. She says that this year on October 5th, attendees can look forward to the usual favourites — a community breakfast, food vendors, a tea room, and family entertainment all afternoon on Saturday.
“We have a huge craft and market sale, and this year, instead of being in the arena, we've actually moved it to 3rd Street in two giant tents,” she says.
It’s the great pumpkin
The day’s events will also include the part of the fair that tends to bring out attendees and participants from all over the Pembina Valley and beyond — the annual giant pumpkin and vegetable weigh-off. Here, fairgoers will be able to view bigger than life growing projects and witness the champion take their crown.
The weigh-off is sanctioned by The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC), which is a global organization that encourages the hobby of growing pumpkins and other fruit. The Roland Pumpkin Fair has the only weigh-off in Manitoba and Saskatchewan that is affiliated with the GPC.
Last year’s winner was Jason Terwin of Carman. His pumpkin weighed in at a whopping 1,539 pounds. Pinkerton says that over the years, the pumpkins at the weigh-in keep getting bigger and bigger.
“It wasn't that long ago [that] we finally hit 1,000 pounds, and everyone would freak out when the scale was [reaching it],” she says. “Now, we're talking about potentially 2,000 pounds.”
The magic formula
Pinkerton says that seeds and genetics make a difference when it comes to growing the giant gourds.
“It's not just a little garden patch. [Growers] have in-ground heat and shelters and [they] water every day,” she says, adding that anyone growing a giant pumpkin must watch it consistently. “It's like another child.”
An exciting feature of the weigh-off is that anything can happen, and anyone can appear.
“We have our regular growers and some of our board members go out and see the patches and are in contact with them beforehand, but then anyone's able to enter,” says Pinkerton. “We usually get some new people every year and some that have been off for a few years that have come back. They just bring the registration the day of. You never know how many [entries] there will be.”
There is also a contest for giant tomatoes and watermelons at the fair. Attendees are welcome to bring any other large fruit or vegetable to display, but there is no contest for unclassed items.
Pinkerton says that despite the very involved growing process of the fruits and vegetables, the atmosphere among the growers at the Roland Pumpkin Fair is neighbourly.
“Everyone's welcome,” she says. “If this is a hobby you’d like to get into, the competitors . . . will give you free seeds. They're very competitive, but in a friendly way.”
Where will 1,000 pounds of pumpkin land?
After the weigh-off, fairgoers will have the chance to see the hard work of growers fall to pieces — literally. The giant pumpkin drop is at 5 p.m.
“This will be our third giant pumpkin drop, so we actually hire a crane and one of our growers donates one of their pumpkins,” says Pinkerton. “[It] is usually around 1,000 pounds. We lift it up and we drop it on something.”
In the first year of the drop, a pumpkin was dropped onto a tennis court, and the second year’s pumpkin drop involved a pool. Pinkerton says that this year’s location is a secret until Saturday.
“I'm not going to reveal it,” she says.
After the mysterious drop, there will be dinner, live music, dancing, and beer gardens from 6–8 p.m.
“It’s just a great community fair, even if you’re not into pumpkins and vegetables,” says Pinkerton.
For the full schedule of the annual Roland Pumpkin Fair, click here.