Punkin Chunkin cracks down on booze
They can dress in their Punkin Chunkin finery, but the tens of thousands of general admission spectators will have to leave their booze behind at this year's event.
Organizers are cracking down on alcohol at World Championship Punkin Chunkin scheduled for Friday, Nov. 4, through Sunday, Nov. 6.
Breaking with tradition, no alcohol, tailgating or loitering will be permitted in the large, general parking area. Organizers say coolers will not be permitted and bags will be checked for alcohol and other prohibited items.
Once spectators get on the grounds, alcohol will be available. The event's first beer garden will offer selections from local breweries.
Tailgaters can consume their own alcohol in VIP parking areas. The tickets are $100 on Friday and Sunday and $200 on Saturday with a limit of six people per vehicle; general admission tickets to Punkin Chunkin are also required.
RV and tent campers will also be permitted to bring their own alcohol. A weekend pass for RV camping is $230 and $150 for tent camping; general admission tickets are also required. There are limitations on the number of people allowed at each camping site. See the association’s website at www.punkinchunkin.com for other restrictions.
“In the past, it was a BYOB environment on site,” said Association President Frank Payton. “And overconsumption has been a problem.”
Payton said the move also helps the event's image. “We want an image of shooting pumpkins as far as possible and raising money for charity,” he said.
Since 2000, the association has donated $1 million to scholarships and to support nonprofit organizations, Payton said.
All glass bottles are also prohibited. “Broken glass on the ground is detrimental to the farmer, and we are trying to protect his farmland,” Payton said, adding broken glass has the potential to be harvested with peas grown by the farmer.
After a two-year absence, this year's Punkin Chunkin returns to the Wheatley Farm off Route 404 near Bridgeville.
Plagued by a lawsuit, insurance coverage and logistical problems at a possible Dover International Speedway site, the event was cancelled in 2014 and 2015. Payton said a more comprehensive – and more expensive – insurance policy is in place offering more protection to the association and landowner.
Payton recently announced that this year a crew from Discovery Channel will return to the event, which was started in 1986 by a group of Lewes-area friends.
Weekend spectator passes are $35 with children 10 and under admitted free. Spectators can save money by purchasing tickets online at www.punkinchunkin.com. Daily passes are also available.
Watermelons will fly in the Dorchester County sky
The history of World Championship Punkin Chunkin goes back to the days when its organizers were looking for ways to get rid of leftover Halloween pumpkins.
Now, a new chapter is about to unfold as another of the Eastern Shore's crops will take to the skies.
The first Great American Watermelon Blast is scheduled to start at 9 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 27, at Breckenridge Adventures, 4032 Mill Road, Vienna, Md.
Frank Payton, president of the World Championship Punkin Chunkin Association, said when the association was searching for a new site for the event, residents and officials in Dorchester County, Md., were extremely receptive. “We want to keep that door open, so why not do an event there related to Punkin Chunkin?” he said.
Payton said about a dozen catapult and air cannon crews will be on hand to test their skills at a target shooting watermelons from 200, 300 and 500 yards.
A limited number of tickets are available at www.watermelonblast.com. Tickets are $15; children 12 and under will get in free. Proceeds from the sanctioned event will go to Relay for Life and the Punkin Chunkin Association.
Payton said people who make donations to Relay for Life will have a chance to fire a machine.