As Minnesota settles in for another gorgeous autumn, Stillwater kicks off the season with its annual Harvest Festival and Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Lowell Park. The celebration has something for everyone including micro-brew and wine tasting for the adults, a costume parade and games for the kids and a chili cook-off and other food options for the whole family to enjoy.
All of these attractions lead up to the main event: the weighing of the giant pumpkins. In 2010, this festival hosted a Guinness world record pumpkin that weighed just over 1,800 pounds. This year’s competition is rumored to have another potential record-setter.
After the pumpkins are weighed, they are either carved to be used as kayaks for the event’s annual regatta or are dropped for all to enjoy as they explode into hundreds of messy pieces.
