Giant Pumpkins Take Over Downtown Rapid City
The Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival returns Saturday with giant pumpkins, flying pumpkins, vendors and plenty of fall weirdness.
By Saturday morning, some very large pumpkins will be making their way into downtown Rapid City. A few hours later, other pumpkins will be flying across Memorial Park.
The Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival returns Saturday, Sept. 19, spreading from Main Street Square down Sixth Street and into Memorial Park for six hours of giant pumpkins, food trucks, vendors and one of the stranger engineering competitions you will find at a fall festival.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free to attend, with some children’s activities available for an additional charge.
One of the first stops of the day is the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off at Main Street Square. This is considerably more serious than bringing the biggest pumpkin from the backyard.
Rapid City is an official Great Pumpkin Commonwealth weigh-off site, putting the competition on a circuit that includes giant-pumpkin growers from around the country and beyond. Last year’s Rapid City winner, grown by Kevin Marsh of Parker, South Dakota, weighed 1,688 pounds. Several other entries cleared the 1,000-pound mark.
The weighing begins when the festival opens at 10 a.m., with winners scheduled to be announced at noon.
A few blocks away, pumpkins will be subjected to a very different fate.
Pumpkin Chunkin’ returns to Memorial Park with trebuchets built by South Dakota Mines students sending pumpkins through the air. The student-built machines have become one of the festival’s signature attractions, combining a little engineering with the basic satisfaction of watching a pumpkin get launched across a park.
Three rounds are scheduled Saturday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Between the giant pumpkins and flying pumpkins, the festival stretches across much of downtown. More than 100 vendors are expected, along with local food trucks and a Kid Zone in Memorial Park. Touch-A-Truck will take over the City Hall parking lot from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., giving kids a chance to get close to some of the vehicles they usually only see driving past.
Pumpkin painting, jumping castles and the festival’s 4 Buck Chuck are also available. Individual activities have separate fees, or families can purchase a Kid Zone pass covering several of them.
Decorated pumpkins will also be on display at Main Street Square, with public voting open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival dates back to 2009, making it older than Main Street Square itself. Over the years, the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off and Pumpkin Chunkin’ have remained two of its signature attractions as the festival expanded farther through downtown and into Memorial Park.
If you’re trying to plan your Saturday around the big events, here’s the current schedule:
Saturday Schedule
10 a.m.
Festival opens, vendors begin, Kid Zone opens and Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off begins
10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Decorated pumpkin public voting at Main Street Square
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Touch-A-Truck at the City Hall parking lot
10:15 a.m.
Drumline procession from Main Street Square to Memorial Park
11 a.m.
Pumpkin Chunkin’ — Round 1 at Memorial Park
Noon
Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off winners announced at Main Street Square
1 p.m.
Pumpkin Chunkin’ — Round 2 at Memorial Park
3 p.m.
Pumpkin Chunkin’ — Final Round at Memorial Park
4 p.m.
Festival ends
That leaves plenty of time to watch someone weigh a pumpkin larger than a motorcycle, walk a few blocks to see another pumpkin launched through the air, grab lunch from a food truck and wander through the vendors before the final Pumpkin Chunkin’ round.
Saturday Schedule
10 a.m.
Festival opens, vendors begin, Kid Zone opens and Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off begins
10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Decorated pumpkin public voting at Main Street Square
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Touch-A-Truck at the City Hall parking lot
10:15 a.m.
Drumline procession from Main Street Square to Memorial Park
11 a.m.
Pumpkin Chunkin’ — Round 1 at Memorial Park
Noon
Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off winners announced at Main Street Square
1 p.m.
Pumpkin Chunkin’ — Round 2 at Memorial Park
3 p.m.
Pumpkin Chunkin’ — Final Round at Memorial Park
4 p.m.
Festival ends
Know Before You Go
When: Saturday, Sept. 19, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Where: The festival stretches from Main Street Square to Memorial Park, with activities spread between Main Street, City Hall and the park. Expect to do some walking.
Admission: The festival itself is free. Some Kid Zone activities cost extra: jumping castles are $12, 4 Buck Chuck is $4 and pumpkin painting is $5. A $15 KidZone Pass includes all three.
Parking: The downtown parking ramp next to Main Street Square has more than 500 spaces. The first level and downtown street parking are metered on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Pets: Main Street Square asks visitors to leave pets at home. Service animals are welcome.
Best times to catch the big events: Pumpkin Chunkin’ happens at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off begins at 10 a.m., with winners announced at noon.
One thing to remember: The official schedule is subject to change.