Giant Pumpkin Boat Race Rules & Information

The Giant Pumpkin Festival
Giant Pumpkin Boat Race Rules

10th Annual Giant Pumpkin Boat Race 2023

The 10th Annual Menominee Historic Waterfront Downtown Giant Pumpkin Festival Boat Race on
Saturday, September 23, 2023 is Presented by the Menominee Historic Downtown Farmers Market
Association, and the Menominee Downtown Business Association. This event pits the region’s giant gourd
growers and local businesses against each other in a competition of size and speed. While it
sounds both impossible and crazy, it is a boat race, but the boats are giant pumpkins. The giant pumpkins
are carved and hollowed out by the racers, and then put in the Marina with levers, carts, or manpower. They are raced as if they were kayaks. In the end a traveling first place trophy will be handed out to the winning team!

Join the paddlers and their PVC’s (personal vegetable crafts) as they help raise awareness for local community organizations.

ENTRY FEE: FREE

Location and Time: On September 23, 2023. Team check-in begins at 10:30 am – 11 am at the information
booth. The race will be held within the south end of the Menominee Marina walls (rain or shine) at 1 pm..
The team to make one full lap around the floating buoys/fender takes home the trophy!
What is the result? We have an annual fun and exciting fall fundraising event that brings the community
together to watch ridiculous pumpkin boats race, eat local delicious foods, promote local artists and
musicians, and to join in on some fall festival fun during Menominee Giant Pumpkin Festival of 2023.
Teams for the 10th Annual Giant Pumpkin Boat Race are asked that Application are Registered by
September 15, 2023, Especially if you are purchasing a Pumpkin from the Giant Pumpkin Committee.

Menominee Giant Pumpkin Boat Race Rules:

1. Application forms/payment must be turned in by no later than September 15, 2023. Personal race -craft
   inspections must be completed on September 23, 2023 during Check in starting at 10:30am.
2. Check in starts at 10:30 am ending at 11 am at the information booth. 11 am all racers and teams will be
   introduced on stage and then given materials to construct, carve and hollow out their watercraft at the
   watercraft Boat Race Station.
3. All Giant Pumpkins Boats must be signed in, inspected by judges and brought to staging area ready to
   launch by 12:30 pm.
4. Decoration Theme must be in good taste and family friendly or will be disqualified.
5. Pumpkin Boats must be a maximum size of 5′ x 5′ .
6. Pumpkin watercrafts can be of any shape or size as long as your designated paddler can get into it and
   maneuver it.
7. Teams or individuals must have a designated paddler and teams can be no larger than five and no smaller
   than 1 person.
8. Each team will have a designated assembly area for the race. Boats must be assembled by 12:30 pm.
9. Designated paddler must wear appropriate water safety gear:
   a. A U.S. Coast Guard Certified Life jacket must be worn under or over team theme costume
   b. Provide a form of propulsion, Paddle, oar, etc. Motorized engines are prohibited.
10. Once in water and race starts, anything goes to get to the finish line, but Good Sportsmanship will be
    view and always upheld during the event.
    11, The Menominee Historic Downtown Farmers Market Association and Menominee Downtown Business
    Association and its
    sponsors/volunteers are not held liable for any lost or stolen items and are not responsible for any injuries
    before, during or
    after this race.
11. After race, teams are responsible for cleaning up of staged area and disposing of all decorations and
    materials used on
    their Giant Pumpkin boat by 3 pm. Teams must make their own arrangements to remove their personal
    watercraft/pumpkin/
    innards, from the grounds.
12. The judge’s decisions are final and not under dispute. Winners will be announced after race at the
    Entertainment Stage.
13. Tax-deductible team donations will be greatly appreciated. All checks are to be addressed to: MHDFMA

Menominee Giant Pumpkin Boat Race Check List

1. Team and their responsibly
   a. __ Family members, best friends, co-workers, any group of one to five that can work by themselves, or together as a team and have fun!
   b. __ to help gut, decorate, haul to water, clean up, and dispose of pumpkin, plus
   cheer on the designated paddler, and show good sportsmanship, and have fun!
2. Personal Vegetable/homemade Craft
   a. __ Giant Pumpkin homegrown (Dill’s Atlantic Giant Pumpkin seed)
   b. __ Giant Pumpkin purchased from Giant Pumpkin Festival committee $100.00
   c. __ homemade watercraft with small or medium pumpkins attached
   d. __ Smaller Giant Pumpkin setting in a large tire inner tube
   e. __ heavy tarp to move your pumpkin and used for cleaning out pumpkin
3. Equipment to Clean out guts of Pumpkin
   a. __ several large/ leaf size garbage bags/ with ties for pumpkin guts
   b. __ coffee can with lip cut out to scrape out guts and extra pumpkin meat (will be
   provided)
   c. __ large metal spoons or garden trowel to clean out pumpkin if you are not using coffee can.
   d. __ rubber gloves, if you don’t like to touch pumpkin guts
4. Equipment to help keep you and your pumpkin a float
   a. __ several pool noodles to attach around the entry hole to help keep you afloat
   b. __ Very Long Screwdriver to punch holes for string to hold your pool noodles to
   pumpkin.
   c. __ spool of Kitchen String or any other type of string to thread through holes and wrap around the noodle to hold it to your pumpkin. This is done in a sewing matter, pushing string through holes with screwdriver, and pulling the string through by hand.
   d. __ any other designs of floatation items and any other means of attachment.
5. Decorations for you and your pumpkin.
   a. __ you may dress in a costume, or team shirt.
   b. __ you cannot use any type of toxic paint on your pumpkin or decorations
   c. __ any type of decorations, that can be attached but must be retrieved if they fall off of your Pumpkin Boat during the race.
   d. __ Have Fun but be tasteful as this is a family event.
6. Equipment needed for you to be in race,
   a. __ a swimsuit, wetsuit, or dry suit, water shoes,
   b. __ a U.S. Coast Guard Certified Lifejacket must be worn under or over team theme costume
   c. __ a paddle, either one for a canoe, or kayak, whichever works best for you.
   d. __ a heavy trap to haul your pumpkin to the water (can be purchased at local stores)
7. Disposing of your pumpkin
   a. __ a person to take your pumpkin away after the race, either the same person that brought it, if you grew or brought your own. A hunter to use it as bait, a farmer to use it as feed. Check to see if they have a truck, or trailer and must be removed by 4 pm, day of the race.
   b. __ may need a knife or chainsaw to cut it up to be easier, to get it into truck or trailer.
   c. __ don’t forget to take your garbage bags of guts and seeds.

HAVE FUN, AND ENJOY THE PUMPKIN RACE RUSH

Menominee Giant Pumpkin Boat Race 2023 Entry Form

Fill Out Entry Form Online

Download Printable Form

No Entry fee for all Pumpkin Racers. Must Register by Sept 15, 2023: