Windsor Pumpkin Regatta facts for kids

The Windsor Pumpkin Regatta is a super fun water race that happens every October in Windsor, Nova Scotia. People race across Lake Pesaquid in giant, brightly colored pumpkins! The race course is about half a mile (800 meters) long.

Windsor Pumpkin Regatta racers get ready!

This amazing race was started in 1999 by Danny Dill. Danny is the son of Howard Dill, who was famous for growing the huge Atlantic Giant pumpkins. These are the special pumpkins used for the race!

Who Races and How Popular Is It?

A racer named Leo Swinimer from New Ross, Nova Scotia has won the race many times. He won six out of the first ten races! He even won one when he was 73 years old. Even though one person won a lot, the race is still very popular. In 2008, about 10,000 people came to watch, and 60 people entered the race.

Different Ways to Race

There are three main types of races you can enter:

• Motor class: Here, pumpkins have small motors to help them move.
• Experimental class: This is for creative ways to make the pumpkin go, maybe with special paddles or designs.
• Paddling class: This is the most popular one! Racers use paddles to move their pumpkin across the water, just like a canoe.

Not all classes have racers every year, but the paddling race is always a big hit.

Famous Faces at the Regatta

In 2005, a famous person named Martha Stewart wanted to join the race. Her special pastel-colored pumpkin was there, but she couldn't make it to Nova Scotia in time. Other well-known people have raced too. For example, Scott Brison, who was a local politician, has raced in the pumpkin regatta several times.

Where Did the Idea Come From?

Windsor was not the very first place to have someone paddle a giant pumpkin. That idea came from Wayne Hackney in Winchester, New Hampshire. He paddled a pumpkin he grew in 1996. However, the Windsor Pumpkin Regatta has inspired many other pumpkin races! Now there are similar races at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and on Lake Champlain in Colchester, Vermont.

Winners of the Paddling Race

A pumpkin floats on Lake Pisaquid during the race.

Here are some of the winners of the human-powered paddling competition: