Pumpkin launching in Moab

In medieval times, catapults and trebuchets were used to launch projectiles into enemy territory, and the allure of flinging objects through the air never faded. This lost art will be rediscovered this fall as the Youth Garden Project presents the second annual Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival on Oct. 27, 2007 in Moab, Utah. The festival will take place from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Old Airport Runway just south of Moab, and will include contests for people of all ages, live music and entertainment, vendor booths, and a wide range of characters roaming the festival grounds. The festival’s namesake is open to anyone craving an experience that requires creativity, ingenuity, and love of launching stuff. Entrants compete in one of five divisions: catapults, trebuchets, cannons, human-powered, and a special youth division, thus the machines will be powered with either human or kinetic energy. Prizes will be awarded to the top team in each category. Registration is open to would-be-craftsmen (and women) through Oct. 10, with an entry fee of $40 that includes four adult entry passes to the festival and four t-shirts.

For more information on the Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival, visit www.youthgardenproject.org/pumpkin_chuckin.html or call (435) 259-2326. More information on the Moab area can be found at www.discovermoab.com.