Punkins get Chunk’d tomorrow at 2023 festival
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A trebuchet is pictured at a past year's Punkin' Chunkin' Fall Festival.
The annual Punkin' Chunkin' Fall Festival, hosted by the Howard Fire Company, will take place this Saturday, Oct. 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Bald Eagle State Park.
This event offers free admission, free parking and lots of family fun! This festival began in 2011 and is a wonderful way to spend an autumn day outdoors, basking in the colors and scents of fall, while watching something that you won't normally see in Centre County at any other time of the year.
The Punkin Chunkin Festival's opening ceremony begins at 10 a.m., where many of the visiting chunkers and their teams will be introduced. Trebuchets and air cannons will be launching pumpkins into Sayers Lake, every 15 minutes or so, from 10:30 a.m. until noon. After a break for lunch for the volunteers and safety checks on the launchers, it's back to hurling those orange gourds into the lake until the close of the festival at 5 p.m.
Howard Fire Company is the proud owner of their own air cannon, "Chunk'n-ology", purchased from a competitive chunking team a few years ago for use during the fire company's annual festival, which is the primary fundraiser for the fire department.
This year there are over 60 craft vendors and more than 22 food vendors expected to be in attendance. There will be hayrides, mini pumpkin chunkers and activities for everyone to enjoy throughout the day.
A pie eating contest is planned at 2:30 p.m., and participants are encouraged to take part!
Collectible T-shirts, long sleeved shirts, hoodies and beanies will be available for purchase at the event. This year's shirts are of a golden color, depicting a deer, and will be just perfect to wear during your activities during the fall and winter months.
Attendees are encouraged to dress for the outdoor temperatures and to realize that there's a chill in the air from the breeze that comes off of Sayers Lake during the festival. Rain is expected, but with an umbrella you'll still be able to enjoy the activities of the day!
Motorists are asked to be patient when approaching the park entrance and to look for fire police who will be directing traffic. There's only one way in and out of the park, so go slow, stay alert and enjoy the day at Bald Eagle State Park!