Teulon celebrated the coming of fall during its 30th Annual Pumpkinfest last Saturday that featured activities for the whole family and gigantic pumpkins that could easily make hundreds of mouth-watering pumpkin pies.
Darci Loehmer of the Teulon Pumpkinfest Board, which organized the event, said hundreds of people from across the region and beyond attended the event.
“We had a fantastic turnout. We probably had one of the best turnouts in years after COVID slowed things down a bit. The weather was great. There were lots of local faces and people from all over the region coming to celebrate the festival,” said Loehmer. “We’re able to have a small-town event but welcome everybody to participate and that’s special to us.”
Pumpkin growers from across Manitoba vied for a spot on the podium with pumpkins weighing in the hundreds of pounds.
Jason Terwin from Carman, Man., took first place ($1,000 prize) with a pumpkin weighing 1,146 pounds. And Aurelle Meilleur from Fisher Branch took second ($500) and third place ($300) with pumpkins weighing 842 and 841 pounds, respectively.
One of the highlights of the festival included an educational demonstration on burrowing owls, a small owl species that’s in decline in Manitoba and that makes its home in burrows on pasture and grasslands. Over 55 people attended the engaging session that was given by Alex Froese, director of the Manitoba Burrowing Owl Recovery Program, and which featured a meet and greet with Bindi, a female burrowing owl. The organization joins forces with landowners who want to preserve habitat for the birds.
The magician show was also a big hit, said Loehmer.
“We try every year to change up what the presenters we have and the entertainment we offer,” she said. “We’re already planning for next year, which coincides with the 100th Anniversary of the Teulon Agricultural Society.”
Later in the day, Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman MP James Bezan presented Loehmer and the Teulon Pumpkinfest Board with a plaque commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the popular festival.
The one-day festival included a Lions Club pancake breakfast to get festival-goers fuelled up for the day, a pie-eating contest, pumpkin carving demonstration, a cutest baby competition, a petting zoo, dog show, carnival games, silent auction, kids’ crafts and activities, African drumming and dancing, wheat weaving and local vendors.
Tribune photo by Patricia Barrett
