One of my favorite documentaries aired by the Travel Channel on Halloween chronicles the most extreme Halloween traditions across the U.S. The Conneaut Lake Fall Pumpkin Festival’s Pumpkin Drop, however? Not something for which I was prepared. Then again, I don’t really think there’s any way to prepare yourself adequately for the sight of a 1,200-pound pumpkin utterly decimating a delivery truck, sooooo… yeah. That happened.
Here’s the deal: Conneaut Lake, PA — which Google Maps tells me is located right by Lake Erie — throws a Fall Pumpkin Festival annually. This year, it was held in Conneaut Lake Park on October 10, 11, and 12; and as it does every year, it featured a pumpkin drop. What’s a pumpkin drop? Picture the biggest pumpkin you will ever see. Now imagine it being hoisted in the air to a height of 120 feet. Then allow your mental image of this magnificent, airborne squash to plummet from that height aaaaaaaaaall the way to the ground. And lastly, picture it landing on top of a delivery truck. That’s what a pumpkin drop is. And even better, someone caught this year’s epic event on video.
You guys? I just keep watching that video over… and over… and over again. I cannot tear myself away from it. It’s just that mesmerizing. At 31 seconds, it’s a short video; as such, I would hope you’d have the time for it, even amidst what I’m sure is your absurdly busy schedule. But just in case you really can’t spare the time, here’s all you need to know about it in three pictures:
Before:
The delivery truck in its natural state.
Here It Comes…
In the words of Mr. Bill: Oooooooooooooh noooooooooooooo!
And After:
Wow. Just… wow.
Pumpkin drops aren't the only airborn way to wreak havoc on a gigantic squash, by the way; pumpkin chunking, sometimes referred to as “punkin chunkin,” involves launching pumpkins from oversized catapults, trebuchets, slingshots, and more. Yes, it’s done for sport — and in fact, it’s usually a competition. But hey, stranger things have happened, right?
Here’s the full pumpkin drop video. Watch it. Live it. Love it. Then go make yourself a pumpkin beer keg.
Images: David Edwards/Flickr; Eric Dye/YouTube (3)
