On Saturday, Oct 8th, the 11th annual Ginormous Pumpkin Regatta was held in Daybreak, Utah. We saw thousands of people gather to cheer on friends, family, and community members as pumpkins provided by local growers raced across the lake for the chance to be recorded in Regatta history. Each year True Leaf Market and Live Daybreak sponsor this event to bring our community together and celebrate the harvest of these giant pumpkins.

Every year I am impressed with the style and intricate costumes worn by our participants. This year featured pirates, Luigi, Mario, Toad, Jack and Sally from “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” Billy from “Stranger Things,” Beetlejuice, and more! As a family event, you are welcome to attend with your little ones in costume or not. We have activities for the whole family with games, a petting zoo, races, etc. Come try a pumpkin on for size! If you are lucky, you may even walk away with some giant pumpkin seeds of your own.

Before we can race these squashes around the pond, we have to do a bit of prep work to get them paddle-worthy. The essential tools to pull off such a feat include a saw, giant spoon, bucket, portable water pump, and some good waders.

Preparing A Giant Pumpkin Boat

• Step 1: Unload the pumpkin into the water. We find a forklift works well.
• Step 2: Observe how the pumpkin naturally likes to float.
• Step 3: Cut a hole large enough that you could fit two legs into the pumpkin. It is better to cut too little rather than too much at this step. Begin removing the guts of the pumpkin. Be sure to save your seeds, as they can be valuable.
• Step 4: Now see how a person fits. You may need to expand your initial hole. We have found it is best to sit either cross-legged or kneel in the pumpkin. Because large pumpkins can sometimes be quite flat, you want to be careful not to cut too close to the edges of the pumpkin. If you do, you may find your boat filling with water.
• Step 5: Grab a paddle and start racing!