Goomeri Pumpkin Festival
Pumpkin Festival volunteer Tahlia Munro, from Kingaroy, with the Lucky Spot winning pumpkin
Goomeri Pumpkin Festival
TV celebrity chef Miguel Maestre, from Channel 10’s “The Living Room”, with Gympie Regional Council mayor Ron Dyne

May 26, 2014

A good crowd enjoyed Goomeri’s pumpkin-powered fun on Sunday, soaking up the sunshine as well as just about every pumpkin-themed event you could possibly imagine.

The 18th annual Goomeri Pumpkin Festival featured pumpkin bowls, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin pulling, pumpkin shotputting … and then there were the pumpkin teatowels, patchwork and pageant.

The eyes of Australia will also be on this year’s festival, with two separate TV crews – from “Totally Wild” and “The Living Room” – recording the fun.

Channel 10 celebrity chef Miguel Maestra joked with the crowd of competitors waiting to take part in the The Great Australian Pumpkin Roll before sending his own pumpkin down Policeman’s Hill to its doom.

A total of 557 pumpkins were sent rolling this year. Some ended up in the gutters, relatively unscathed, while others exploded spectacularly on their way down.

One pumpkin, marked A34, made its way sedately down the bitumen before deciding to stop, conveniently for roller Peter Clempson, from Maroochydore, in the $1000 Lucky Spot circle.

Live music also kept the crowd entertained, and local celebrity chef Jason Ford shared pumpkin recipes on stage, including pumpkin guacamole, pumpkin and banana hotcakes and his popular spicy pumpkin and peanut soup.

If you missed Jason’s stage performances, his recipes are available on his website  

Goomeri Pumpkin Festival
Stylish pumpkin hats on this team of Brisbane friends who have been dominating Pumpkin Festival competitions for the past few years … they dominated the Pumpkin Pull but didn’t reprise their success in the Great Australian Pumpkin Roll  (note the Pumpkin cam)

Goomeri Pumpkin Festival
TV chef Miguel Maestre lets fly
in the Celebrity Roll

Goomeri Pumpkin Festival
It’s in the circle! The first pumpkin for years to end up in the Lucky Spot
Goomeri Pumpkin Festival
Some more TV celebrities ready to roll … this time from Channel 10’s “Totally Wild”
Goomeri Pumpkin Festival
George Vagias, 5, from Hervey Bay; and Jack Dwine, 8, from Gympie, were ready for the Juvenile Pumpkin Roll

Goomeri Pumpkin Festival
Shimona Walsh, from Goomeri, was helping Zarliah Nathan, 3, in the junior roll

Goomeri Pumpkin Festival
South Burnett celebrity chef Jason Ford put on cooking demonstrations in the park
Goomeri Pumpkin Festival
Off they go!  Some of the junior rollers send their pumpkins off to oblivion

Goomeri Pumpkin Festival
Marie Kalkaus, from Morayfield, won the Giant Pumpkin competition with a 134kg whopper

Goomeri Pumpkin Festival
Oliver Westbury, 7, from Gundiah, came first in the Juvenile Pumpkin Roll
Goomeri Pumpkin Festival
The Kayes clan, from Caloundra, came up en masse to the Goomeri Pumpkin Festival
Goomeri Pumpkin Festival
A good crowd lined Policeman’s Hill to watch the pumpkins roll

Results:

Pumpkin Roll
Lucky Spot  (A34) – Peter Clempson, Maroochydore

Juvenile (187 rollers)
1. Oliver Westbury, Gundiah
2. Chantel Wust, Bundaberg

Adult (370 rollers)
1. James Adamson, Gympie
2. Giddy Wrafter, Brisbane

Pumpkin Power Shot Put
Juvenile – Callum Shaw, Brisbane, 10.77
Men’s Open – Matt Sauer, Maryborough, 19.26
Women’s Open – Renae Bell, Kurwongbah, 10.58

Pumpkin Pull
1. Sean Moloney, Jason Tooley, Trent Osborne
2. David Eiser, Michael Larter, Steven Larter (the 2012 & 2013 champions)

Pumpkin Bowls
Chris Spicer

Giant Pumpkin Competition
Marie Kalkaus, Morayfield, 134kg

Decorated Pumpkin
Prep – Year 2
1.  Lilly Corliss, Caloundra
2. Jasmine Corliss, Caloundra
3. Hannah Dascombe, Goomeri

Years 3-5
1. Ruby Cavanagh, Goomeri
2.  Maddison Richards, Goomeri
3. Jacinta Rockemer, Goomeri

Years 6-7
1. Jordan Reeves
2. Keana Reeves
3. Breanna Reeves

Open
Sonya Perks

Pumpkin Patch Work
1. Sheila Corps
2. Dawn Reardon

Decorated Teatowel
1. Sheila Corps
2. Dawn Reardon

 Whipcracking
9-12 years
1. Jorja Curran
2. Louisa Frahm
3. Steph Arrell

13-15 years
1. Olivia Frahm
2. Jordan Reeve

Pumpkin Pageant
Junior
1. Ruby Cavanagh, Goomeri
2. Hannah Court, Goomeri

Adult
1. Sally Brooks
2. Jeanette Cart, Goomeri

Register Attendance
Margie Carsburg, Cornubia

Sportsground Camping Prize
Vicki Williams


 

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