The Damariscotta PumpkinFest & Regatta
The annual Damariscotta PumpkinFest & Regatta draws about 15-thousand visitors every year. If you're ever in the mid-coast region of Maine during the first couple weeks of October, I encourage you to stop and visit this fun event.
The Damariscotta PumpkinFest & Regatta features a downtown display of volunteer-carved and decorated American Giant pumpkins. The pumpkins are delivered and placed in front of a sponsoring business, decorated on site, and then prominently displayed for 10-days. I passed the festival on my way home from a recent trip to Skylands, my beloved summer residence in Seal Harbor. My longtime special projects producer, Judy Morris, who accompanied me on the visit, but traveled separately, also drove through the small town on her way to see family and took a few snapshots. There was a total of 57 decorated pumpkins of various sizes for all to see.
Enjoy these photos.
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- The coastal town of Damariscotta is home to the annual Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta. Each year, local Maine artists gather to decorate dozens of giant pumpkins – each weighing at least 200-pounds.
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- Damariscotta is a small town in Southern Maine with about 2000 residents. It is dubbed the oyster capital of New England.
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- Damariscotta is situated on the Damariscotta River, a tidal estuary of the Gulf of Maine. A popular tourist destination, the towns of Damariscotta and Newcastle are linked by the Main Street bridge over this river, forming the “Twin Villages”. The name Damariscotta is an Indian name meaning “river of little fish”.
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- One of the first decorated pumpkins Judy saw was this “Hulk Smash.” The artists spend one entire day decorating their pumpkins for the festival. Some artists work with knives and scoops to create three dimensional characters.
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- While other artists rely on the pumpkins’ shapes to inspire their painted creations. This colorful mermaid was painted on a 1034 pound pumpkin.
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- This pumpkin was decorated with an extreme clipper called the Flying Scud. The ship was painted on the surface of a 412 pound pumpkin. The Flying Scud was built in 1853 at the Metcalf and Norris Shipyard, one of the many shipyards that once prospered in the Damariscotta River area.
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- Each pumpkin has a small placard displaying the artist’s name, the pumpkin grower’s name, pumpkin weight, and a local business sponsor.
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- The design on this pumpkin pays homage to the sea with carved mermaids.
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- The artist for this 538 pound pumpkin paints a kraken threatening a ship on the surface of the ocean.
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- This creation drew lots of attention – it’s a pumpkin hobbit house.
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- The inside was also hollowed out and decorated. This pumpkin was donated by first-time grower Jonathan Fortier. It weighed 1,219.5 pounds – before it was carved.
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- Some pumpkins are decorated Halloween themed animal figures.
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- The pumpkins come in all different sizes. This squirrel sits next to its 412 pound “acorn” decorated pumpkin.
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- This is an 804 pound owl head.
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- And this mermaid scene is decorated on a 647 pounder.
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- The artist on this 605-pound pumpkin topped it with a gauze-draped ghost.
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- Visitors admired this “sugar plum fairy” pumpkin creation.
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- And here, the bottom of this 1465 pound pumpkin is turned to its side and decorated with an arm, or possibly more, that was swallowed up by the fruit.
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- Ode to Charles Schultz, this pumpkin shows Peanuts characters from the “Great Pumpkin” show. On this side, Linus and Lucy.
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- And here, the silhouette of Snoopy, or is it the “Great Pumpkin?” Do you remember the story? Linus believes that on Halloween night the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch and flies all over the world delivering toys to all good children everywhere.
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- Here is a decorated pumpkin chef with gourds used to create the face. This one reminding visitors that restaurants are opened once again.
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- There was also a pumpkin weighing contest. The winning pumpkin was grown by Ed Pierpoint, who showed up with the biggest pumpkin ever weighed or grown in Maine. This pumpkin weighs more than a ton at 2,121.5 pounds. Unfortunately, the Regatta part of the Festival was canceled due to the pandemic, but if you’re in the area this time next year, be sure to check out the festivities in Damariscotta! Thanks for the photos, Judy! Halloween is just five days away – how did you decorate your pumpkins? Share your comments below.
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