Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta

10/17/2026

We hope you’ve enjoyed our 2026 pumpkin art!!! 🎨 Huge thanks to our volunteer and professional growers, deployment team, generous business sponsors, and the over 100 artists who skillfully turned this year’s pumpkin crop into monsters, fish, Charlotte’s web, tall ships, cityscapes, and all sorts of other creative things. We loved it!!! This year’s 89 decorated pumpkins and hay bales were surely a festival record. The combined weight of this year’s display pumpkins was a whopping 31,716 pounds!!

Fair warning, today is the FINAL FULL DAY for viewing the pumpkins along Main Street. Volunteers will begin “undecorating” them at 3:00 PM Sunday in preparation for removal early Monday morning. 🧡🎃

10/17/2026

10/15/2026

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO RICHARD POWELL!

We are so proud to share that this season Richard Powell officially earned his way into the GPC 4,300 Club one of the most prestigious achievements in the giant pumpkin growing world.

For those who don’t know what that means here is a quick breakdown. To earn the GPC 4,300 Club patch your three heaviest pumpkins or squash, weighed at three different sanctioned GPC events, must add up to at least 4,300 pounds combined. It is not just about one big pumpkin it takes consistency, dedication, and the ability to compete at a high level across multiple events.

And Richard did exactly that.

Not only did Richard hit the 4,300 Club milestone this year he also had pumpkins featured in THREE of our major Pumpkinfest events. His giants were on display as street art along Main Street, one went into the Regatta, and one was part of the Drop. And his personal best was proudly displayed at Veterans Park for everyone to see.

Richard you have poured everything into this season and it shows in every way. From the patch on your jacket to the pumpkins that wowed thousands of visitors in our little town we could not be more proud.

Congratulations from all of us at Pumpkinfest. You are a true legend of this community. 🧡

10/14/2026

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WE HAD TO SHARE THIS Thank You Kelly! 🎃🧡

First things first we are all back at our day jobs and slowly catching up on sleep after one of the most incredible Pumpkinfest weekends we have ever had.

But we just had to share this. Kelly known on social media as The Downeast Cowboy put together an absolutely stunning collection of photos from this year's Regatta. Over 50 photos capturing the magic on the water. These are incredible and we are so grateful!

If you are not already following Kelly go give him a like and a follow this is the kind of work that deserves every bit of support!

To everyone who came out this weekend thank you. To every volunteer, grower, artist, paddler, boat builder, sponsor, and community supporter thank you. To every person who traveled near and far to be part of our 19th Pumpkinfest thank you. This community is everything.

We will be posting more from the weekend very soon keep an eye on our page!

10/14/2026

PUMPKINFEST REGATTA BLESSING 2026 ©
Rev. Charlene Corbett, October 11, 2026
Email: [email protected]

Gathered here on the shores of Midcoast Maine,
we pause to ground ourselves in gratitude.
We acknowledge that we stand on
the traditional, unceded homeland of the Wabanaki people.
We honor their enduring care and connection to this place
and express our deepest gratitude
for the land and water that sustain us today.
We bless the Damariscotta River,
a historic waterway with centuries of legendary maritime history—
yet today, must once again endure the ultimate, undignified test
of determining the seaworthiness of a fleet of giant, hollowed-out squash.
As we mark the 250th anniversary of the United States this year,
we remember that the true strength of a nation
lies in its diversity, mutual respect, and neighborly spirit.
After all, there is no truer American freedom
than cramming oneself into a several hundred-pound vegetable
for the amusement of family, friends, neighbors and strangers!
May we forever celebrate the freedom
to be absolutely, delightfully ridiculous together.
We offer our deepest thanks to the pumpkin growers,
whose summer-long devotion raised these titanic gourds from tiny seeds.
We honor the army of volunteers who brought this regatta to life for a 19th year,
and we thank the first responders who keep us all safe in our time of play.
We remain in awe of the pumpkin boat builders—
The architectural visionaries who saw a bunch of massive pumpkins
and said, "Yes, these are meant to be boats on the sea."
And now, to our brave captains and crews:
we offer our blessings to your paddles, your core strength,
and your questionable life choices.
May you be safe, your rinds stay watertight and your centers of gravity be low.
Whether you cross the finish line dry
or capsize into the chilly tidal waters, we salute your courage.
On this beautiful autumn day,
this collective moment of pure laughter and silliness
is exactly what our hearts need right now.
May this joy we share ripple outward,
bringing a sense of renewal, community, and abundant peace
to our nation and indeed all the world.
And now, go forth safely, brave paddlers!
Bring honor to our patch!
Amen, and let the regatta begin!

10/14/2026

What an incredible time we had at the 2026 Damariscotta Pumpkinfest KidsZone!

We're so grateful to the many wonderful people who made this special, affordable, and secure space possible for our youngest visitors!

🧡The CLC YMCA for hosting an ideal inside location.

🧡The Lincoln County Sheriffs Dept for their generous assistance in making everyone feel safe and secure.

🧡Lincoln Academy boarding students for running activities, assisting with creative projects, and ensuring our young Pumpkinfest guests had a fantastic experience.

🧡Friends, family, and community volunteers who return year after year to support us—whether by selling tokens, operating inflatables, or lending a hand in countless other ways.

🧡Mr. Drew and His Animals Too! sponsored by Property Care Plus for bringing his amazing exotic animals that delighted children and adults with his hands on presentation.

🧡 Sandcastle Entertainment for supplying the inflatables that the many guests young and old climbed on, bounced on, and slid down!

🧡The 2026 KidsZone sponsors: McDonalds, CLC YMCA, and Sandcastle Entertainment.

10/13/2026

A big thank you to everyone who took part in the Tour de Gourd 5k and walk! This year, we had around 200 people racing or walking past the giant pumpkins on Main Street. Check out the race photos here:

https://runsignup.com/Race/Photos/ME/Newcastle/TourDeGourd

And race results here:

https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/Overview/204500

The Tour de Gourd is sponsored by Jesse Sheds and Riverside Butcher Co.

10/12/2026

Lost and found at the buskers/dessert contest tent. Pick it up under the tent, goes in the garbage tomorrow morning. We also have a Debit