Damariscotta PumpkinFest

• The Pumpkinboat Regatta, features numerous 400-700 pound, hollowed-out pumpkins with motors attached or paddled, piloted by volunteer captains, racing one another in the Damariscotta Harbor. This event is live-fed into the local theater.

• A downtown display of 65+ volunteer-carved and decorated giant pumpkins lining Main Street in Damariscotta & Newcastle.

• The Pumpkin Derby, with competitions for kids and adults.

• The popular Pumpkin Dessert Contest and Pumpkin Pie Eating Contests.

• The infamous 180′ Pumpkin Drop of a massive squash lifted up by crane and let go into a large inflatable pool filled with beach balls.

• The Giant Pumpkin Parade, featuring the winning pumpkin (the largest fruit in the State of Maine) from the weigh-off

• The Pumpkin Catapult hurls 20-lb pumpkins hundreds of feet in the air, while the Giant Slingshots let kids of all ages aim small jack-be-little pumpkins hundreds of yards to hit targets.

Activity Highlights for 2023 

Sat. Sept 30th - Volunteer Pumpkin Weigh-off

Sun. Oct 1st - Great Pumpkin Commonwealth Weigh-off at 10:00am

Thu. Oct 5th - Pumplin Deployment after 3:45pm

Fri. Oct 6th - Pumpkin Artists at Work

Sat. Oct 7th - Parade begins around 2:00pm
Sun. Oct 8th - Pumpkin Derby 2:00pm
Mon. Oct 9th - Pumpkinboat Regatta at 9am

Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta™ is an innovative program that promotes horticultural education to gardeners of all ages regarding the specific agricultural science required to grow Atlantic Giant Pumpkins. This program culminates in a family-oriented festival, held for ten days in early October through Columbus Day weekend each year to showcase the pumpkin growers' results in a number of creative ways. Damariscotta is a small Maine town whose economic basis is fishing and tourism. Pumpkinfest typically draws 10,000-15,000 visitors.