Brasstown – If the long traffic lines on Settawig Road were any indication, the 13th annual, weekend-long Punkin Chunkin Festival on Oct. 15-16 appears to have exceeded pre-event expectations.
Crowd size had been projected to reach around 7,000. While attendance has not been formally calculated, this year looks like it may have reached record levels.
“We reached maximum capacity on available parking,” said Laura Kleiss Hoeft, executive director of the Clay County Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the event.
Traditionally, Saturday’s attendance is larger than Sunday and this year was no exception.
“Both days were busy, but Saturday created significant challenges due to so many coming at the same time leading to long waits a the entrance gates, Hoeft said.
“Sunday was a steady flow throughout the day and there was no delays getting in and out of the gates.”
The crowd showed up in droves and so did the vendors. Hoeft said last year they had 30 vendors on site, this year that number tripled to 90.
The event provided a venue for many including crafters, civic organizations and a variety of food booths, along with the ever-popular Kidszone and pie-eating contests, but the stars of the show are the Punkin Chunkin machines.
Crowds lined the roped off area reserved for the machine launches to watch the pumpkins fly into the air and land in the field where distance was measured to determine the winner after two days of competition.
Veteran chunker Tony Wiegold and the Hayesville Hurlers team sailed to first place with their longest shot recorded Saturday at 3,309 feet. Total distance for the two days was 15,489 feet. First in Fright came in second with a total distance of 11,503 feet.
The massive event offers a unique festival that provides family fun, but its benefits are far reaching. Hoeft said the crowds coming in also give a boost to the local economy.
“This event is a regional event that bring folks from out of our area, in fact from all over the country,” she said. “This brings new dollars into our economy, fills our hotel rooms, cabins and campgrounds.”
When asked if there’s anything coordinators might do differently next year, Hoeft said, “The entire event had to spread out over a much larger area to handle the crowds and we need golf carts helping reduce the walking distance.”
Hoeft expressed appreciation to all who helped her and the chamber with the year’s event, which by all accounts was considered successful.
“There was great support from our business community, county and schools in making this event happen. “An event this size does not happen without the support of volunteers,” she said. “I am grateful for the hard work of so many, but especially the board members and welcome center volunteers who spent months working behind the scenes making this event happen.”