There must be something in the water in Dwellingup.
The residents’ vegetable patches are pumping out produce of gigantic proportions.
More likely, however, it’s the time of year for it, with little more than a month until the annual Dwellingup Pumpkin Festival, which is run by the Dwellingup Primary School P&C as a fundraiser.
The festival’s main event is a good old-fashioned Giant Pumpkin Competition.
P&C president Warren Haugh said he expected many newcomers to enter on the day, along with some old rivals.
“There’s a lot of extra interest out there this year, there’s a lot of rumours that there’s a few people outside the usual entrants… but they’re all very secretive about what they’re growing,” Mr Haugh said.
“We had seeds we gave away last year to various growers just to encourage them, there’s a couple of families out there growing one with the kids…. that’s what we want.”
A highlight on the day is watching the growers arrive with their pumpkins before 10.30am, for a weigh-in at 11am.
Dwellingup resident and long-time contestant Jeff Warren has been grooming his gourds since October.
“I reckon I’ve got the best ones I’ve ever entered, if they survive,” Mr Warren said, though it’s not been an easy season this year, with one of the state’s wettest summers on record.
“That last bit of rain was no good, I’ve had three go splat, and I’ve got six left.
“If they stay wet during the night… the plants get powdery mildew, and once the leaves start dying, it doesn’t support the pumpkin.
“If it’s not getting the nutrients it needs, it’ll start to deteriorate.”
The categories are not limited to giant pumpkins, however: there are also a whole range of prizes for entries such as tallest sunflower, longest vegetable, strangest-shaped produce and more.
Smashing Pumpkins
This year, there’s a new addition to the festival: Dwellingup man Alex Ashcroft will attempt to break a Guinness World Record for smashing the most pumpkins in a minute with a hammer.
“We have a licence from them, we have all the paperwork, the current record is 15 in a minute,” Mr Haugh said.
“[Alex] is an under 21 Australian axe champion, so he’s agreed that he’s going to give it a go.”
The festival, which the whole town has come to embrace over the years, is a major event of Dwellingup’s calendar.
The day will include live entertainment, over 40 stallholders, face-painting, a reptile show, circus challenges and an antique fair.
“It’s developed as a result the giant pumpkins, and we’ve turned it into a really good community and fundraising event,” Mr Haugh said.
“It’s good for the whole town, business and tourism and just our whole community.”
The pumpkin festival is set for April 15, at Dwellingup Primary School.
Keep up to date with the Dwellingup Pumpkin Festival on Facebook.
