Published: October 02, 2008 03:59 pm         

Many enjoy PumpkinFest despite rain

By MICHELLE MILLER
Staff Writer

Organizers were expecting Cooperstown’s PumpkinFest to be the biggest ever, but Mother Nature did not cooperate.

The annual festival is organized by the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce and spokesperson Angela Chadwell said, ``If the weather would have held out we probably would have had more people.’’

Chadwell said she was still impressed with how many people came ``just to watch,’’ growers compete in the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off held in Doubleday Parking lot Saturday.

The weigh-off, where growers of pumpkins, tomatoes, gourds and watermelons competed for the largest pay-out in the country, was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., but was delayed because of heavy rain. Once the festivities got started there were 60 different fruit (having seeds) weighed.

This was not a record amount for the event, said Chadwell.

Chadwell said the rain did not only interfere with the event itself, but it had a pretty big impact on the growing season as well. Growers came from as far as Pennsylvania, but growers from Rhode Island had bad weather to contend with this year so they did not show, said Chadwell. She said growers from New York State did not have the success they normally do because of too much rain rotting pumpkins. Chadwell said Cooperstown resident John Lohan had entered 12 pumpkins into the weigh-off, but several rotted ust a day before the event.

The Lohan family was still very well represented at the event, however. Liz (mother), John (father), and their two children nine-year-old Megan and seven-year-old Brendan each had two pumpkins and a squash at the weigh-off. The Lohans were the top competitors in Otsego County— Brendan placed first his 573.5 lb pumpkin, John second with his 498 lb pumpkin, Megan third with her 471.5 lb monster and Liz fourth with a 424.5 lb. orange giant.

Liz said her family began growing pumpkins in their back yard after going to the first PumpkenFest held in Cooperstown five years ago. She said her kids were fascinated by the giant pumpkins, so they took home free seeds from the event to see what they could grow.

``We grew 400 lb pumpkins, so we decided to enter them,’’ Liz said.

Liz said she and her family only compete locally at Pumpkin- Fest. Growing pumpkins for competition is a lot of hard work, especially in the beginning stages with all the weeding, said Liz. The Lohans said they plant their seeds in the house on May 1 and then plant them outside about two weeks later. They said growing large pumpkins takes a lot of watering throughout the season.

Thirteen-year-old Carly Andrews came all the way from Long Island to enter her watermelon in the weigh-off. She said it was her fourth year growing watermelon, but only two have made it to the Cooperstown competition. During her first year, Andrews said she did not have much luck growing a large watermelon, only being able to grow one 13 pounds. The third year she said she hit a rough patch when her crop rotted two days before making her three-hour journey. Andrews said she had something to smile about in 2006 when her watermelon came in first place weighing 77.5 pounds.

Pumpkin weights were down from last year when a 1,376- pound pumpkin won first prize. Randy and Deb Sundstrom of Walton won the grandprize of $4,000 for the largest pumpkin. It weighed in at 1,248 pounds. The Sundstroms came in second place last year. Karl Haist of Clarence Center won the squash and watermelon competitions.

His squash weighed 1,177 pounds and his watermelon weighed 110.5 pounds.

John Hilstolsky, of Pennsylvania, had the biggest tomato of the day. It weighed 2.16 pounds. Vickie Reynolds, of Pennsylvania, had the longest gourd measuring 95.5 inches. Rain on Sunday held off long enough for the regatta. According to Chamber office manager Elise Schiellack, the pumpkin race in Otsego Lake is by far the most popular event of PumpkenFest.

Chadwell said the linedup spectators showed how popular the event is. She said she believes a record number of people came to watch the hollowed-out pumpkins race.

Sixteen-year-old Courtney Yonce, of Cooperstown, said she certainly looks forward to the regatta. Yonce said she began competing in the event last year for Best Western when another person backed out at the last minute.

``It’s fun and really exciting,’’ she said.

Chad Welch, representing Smith Ford Cooperstown, won the first heat of the pumpkin regatta.

Two races, one for PumpkinFest competitors, the second, an open class, were run afterward.