By Frank Kulbertis,
Guest Writer
One of the area’s most anticipated events of the year will return October 15-16 as the 13th annual version of the Punkin Chunkin Festival will take place at 811 Settawig Road in Brasstown, N.C. This family-friendly event attracts thousands of people and is conducted as the primary fundraiser for the Clay County Chamber of Commerce. Punkin Chunkin combines all the elements of a traditional harvest festival with an epic demonstration of man versus nature. Teams will travel from near and far and use all forms of machinery, from catapults to air cannons to who knows what else — a giant slingshot — to determine who can launch a pumpkin the farthest. It is quite a sight to see as, often times, pumpkins will be sent flying for several thousand feet.
While the Punkin Chunkers and their flying pumpkins are the main attraction, there are also dozens of other things to see and do at the Punkin Chunkin Festival. New to this year’s event, there will be an ongoing lineup of musical performers bringing a variety of entertainment to the main stage. All are singer-songwriters who will perform some of their own music, as well as covers of popular songs from many different musical genres. Brasstown’s own Scott James Stambaugh will take the stage from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15. His musical style is classic rock and Americana with covers of songs by artists like The Eagles, Simon & Garfunkel and The Beatles. Following him from 2:30-4:30 p.m. will be Luke Whittaker from Pearisburg, Va. Whittaker is a young country music artist who just recently released his first album. On Sunday, October 16, Hayesville’s iconic Dr. Paul, who appeared on television’s The Voice, will start the day playing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with his favorite blues, soul and country tunes. Finally, Trailer Hippies will be wrapping things up on Sunday from 2:30-4:30 p.m. This husband and wife duo from Chatsworth, Ga. plays homespun mountain and folk music.
Other entertainment includes pie-eating contests, arts and crafts vendors, an old-time tractor display, hayrides and airplane rides. The Kidzone is always a popular place with lots of kids’ activities. This year’s event will also have a much larger number of food vendors offering everything from full meals to a multitude of snacks, as well as wine sales from local wineries and a beer tent. Laura Kleiss Hoeft, executive director of the Clay County Chamber of Commerce, says the increases in musical entertainers and food purveyors are only some of the changes to Punkin Chunkin this year. “We wanted to make sure this fall event celebrates something near and dear to the chamber’s mission,” says Kleiss Hoeft, “that’s our local agritourism, our agricultural history and our farms and other ag-related attractions. So, we have an area dedicated to that this year and while the number of exhibitors may be small this time around, we expect that area to grow in the years ahead.”
Other changes have also been made to help with the flow of cars and people as 7,000 attendees or more are expected to converge on the festival over the weekend. “We have installed a separate exit from our parking area onto Settawig Road,” says Kleiss Hoeft, “so that’s going to make the whole traffic configuration a lot less complicated and reduce the congestion that has occurred in the past on Settawig. We have also added a separate entrance gate into the festival grounds from the parking lot,” adds Kleiss Hoeft, “so we won’t have people coming in and out of the same gate. This will make it easier to get a hand stamp to go to your car and then return to the festival or to come into the grounds as a volunteer without having to wait in the ticket line.”
The Punkin Chunkin Festival will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Machines are scheduled to launch pumpkins in competition each day from 1-4 p.m. and will conduct practice throws before then. When not in operation, festival attendees will be given an opportunity to enter the launch area and get a close-up look at the machines. Admission to the festival is just $5 per person, with children under age 5 admitted for free. Parking is $5 per vehicle. All proceeds benefit the chamber and other local non-profit organizations.
Prior to the start of the festival, at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, there will be more fun with the “Anything Pumpkin” and Chili Cook-Off on the Historic Courthouse Square in Hayesville. Tickets are $5, but only 150 tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, so get there early. Tickets will allow attendees to taste the many pumpkin and chili dishes entered in the competition and to cast votes for their favorites. Prizes will be awarded to the top vote-getters in each category, as well as to the top selections by a panel of judges. Live music will be featured under the gazebo throughout the event. Stores and restaurants in the downtown area will be open during and following the cook-off.
This festival does not happen with out the support of the business community. This year a special thank you the event sponsors. Corporate sponsors are Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel and Mary’s Southern Grill; festival sponsors are: Level 2 - Chatuge Family Practice, First Citizens Bank, Budweiser of Sylva, George’s Paint and Hardware and Men on the Move, Inc. Level 1 - Pat Pratt, Burch Insurance, Lance Law Firm, Young Harris College, Georgia Mountain Fair, Punkin Machine Reception/Business After Hours: Doug Taylor Electric; pumpkin donations for Elementary School Pumpkin Decorating Project: Tri - County Office Supply; Beth Bentley - memorial for friend and art teacher Pricilla Roller Burns; Men on the Move; John C. Campbell Folk School; Young Harris College; Laura Kleiss Hoeft; Clay County Progress and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Festival attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair to events and remember to leave your pets at home. To learn more about the 13th Annual Punkin Chunkin Festival, as well as the Cook-Off, visit: www.claychambernc.com.