Annual Pumpkin Launch Sends Pumpkins Soaring Through the Skies

Bloomington, Ind.—Parks and Recreation hosts the annual Bloomington Pumpkin Launch Oct. 21 at the Monroe County Fairgrounds, 5700 W. Airport Rd. Gates open and activities begin at 11 a.m., and pumpkin launching begins at noon. Admission is $10 per vehicle.

Pumpkin launching is just one part of the family-friendly fun. Activities include hands-on games prepared by students from Indiana University's Event Planning & Program Development course, pumpkin drops from Parks and Recreation's bucket truck by "Team Bob", STEM-related activities with the IU School of Education's Uplands Maker Mobile, and an Extraterrestrial Encounter Showdown game for children.

A variety of concessions are available for purchase on site from food trucks, including Kona Ice, Fried Hoosier Food Truck, and Uno Mas Taco Truck. Live music by Chris Dollar takes place during the pumpkin launching competition.

Two teams are currently registered to compete in this year’s launch:

Youth Division (elementary and middle school students)
Soaring Squash (catapult)

Adult Division
Tetanus Express (trebuchet)

The Tetanus Express will compete at the Bloomington Pumpkin Launch for the 13th time. The launcher is a large, steel trebuchet, made from mobile home and automobile parts by two local families and their friends.

The Bloomington Pumpkin Launch takes place rain or shine.

The Bloomington Pumpkin Launch is presented by Parks and Recreation in partnership with the Monroe County Fairgrounds, and is sponsored by GigabitNow.

For more information about the Bloomington Pumpkin Launch, contact Bill Ream at reamw@bloomington.in.gov or 812-349-3748.

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