WNY Heroes and Mercy Flight to Participate in Armed Forces Weekend.

The Great Pumpkin Farm in Clarence, NY will kick off its 23rd annual Fall Festival this weekend: Saturday, September 15 and Sunday, September 16 from 10:00 a.m. to dusk with a special Armed Forces Weekend in collaboration with WNYHeroes, Inc. The regular admission fee will be waived for active duty and retired military, police or fire department personnel who present proper identification to WNY Heroes representatives at the gate; they will also be permitted to bring one guest for free.

MercyFlight, which provides emergency medical care via air and ground transportation, will be here with Beulah, the organization’s educational BO-105 helicopter. Festivalgoers can enjoy taking photos near Beulah and learn more about Mercy Flight’s lifesaving, non-profit mission (and maybe win a prize or two!) at the Mercy Flight booth.

As with every year at this annual fall attraction tradition, there’s something for everyone, including amusement rides; hayrides; cornmaze; the pumpkins and mum patch; pumpkin cannon; shooting gallery; homemade donuts, pies, cookies and pastries; Halloween decorations and special events, such as the World Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest, the Trebuchet Contest and Oinktoberfest, New York State’s BBQ Cook-off – and so much more!

Military, police and fire personnel to be feted September 15-16

The Great Pumpkin Farm’s Fall Festival will celebrate its 23rd year as Western New York’s favorite fall destination when it opens on September 15 at 10:00 a.m. For seven consecutive weekends, the Fall Festival offers something for every age, including amusement rides; hayrides; cornmaze; the pumpkins and mum patch; pumpkin cannon; shooting gallery; homemade donuts, pies, cookies and pastries; Halloween decorations and special events, such as the World Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest, the Trebuchet Contest and Oinktoberfest, New York State’s BBQ Cook-off – and so much more!

This year, the Great Pumpkin Farm has once again declared opening weekend – September 15 and 16 – to be Armed Forces Weekend, in collaboration with WNYHeroes, Inc. The regular admission fee will be waived for active duty and retired military, police or fire department personnel who present proper identification to WNYHeroes representatives at the gate; they will also be permitted to bring one guest for free. Throughout the seven weekends of the Fall Festival, WNYHeroes representatives will be on hand at an informational booth in the Event Center at the Great Pumpkin Farm.

MercyFlight, which provides emergency medical care via air and ground transportation, will be here with Beulah, the organization’s educational BO-105 helicopter. Festivalgoers can enjoy taking photos near Beulah and learn more about Mercy Flight’s lifesaving, non-profit mission (and maybe win a prize or two!) at the Mercy Flight booth.

Additional entertainment for opening weekend includes Sylvia Fletcher & Friends Ventriloquism, Vinnie and Teddy, the ever-popular animatronic dinosaurs, who will roam the cornmaze both days from noon until 4:00 p.m. looking for their prey, and the magic experience of Mike & Annie.

FALL FESTIVAL WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

WEEKEND #1: September 15 & 16 – Armed Forces Weekend with WNY Heroes and Mercy Flight; Sylvia & Friends Comedy Ventriloquist; Dinosaurs in the Corn Maze; Magic by Mike & Annie

WEEKEND #2: September 21-23 – Friday Night BBQ Preview Night; Oinktoberfest, New York State’s official KCBS-sanctioned BBQ Cookoff ; Zombies in the Cornmaze; Magic by Mike & Annie; Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Bookmobile NEW!  Guests can enjoy a meet and greet Saturday and Sunday with Food Network Chef Melvin “Boots” Johnson from Chopped: Grill Masters

WEEKEND #3: September 29-30 – World Pumpkin Weigh Off (Sunday); Sylvia & The Magic Trunk Comedy Ventriloquist; Zombies in the Cornmaze; Magic by Mike & Annie

WEEKEND #4: October 6,7 & 8 (Columbus Day) – Pumpkin Olympics; In Jest Juggling & Comedy Show; Magic by Mike & Annie; Professional Pumpkin Carver Steve Dahlke; Annual Pumpkin Drop (Monday) with 97 Rock; Wristband Day (Columbus Day only): Ride all the amusement rides from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for just $18

WEEKEND #5: October 13 & 14 – Pig Races; In Jest Juggling & Comedy Show; Zombies in the Cornmaze; Funny Face Drawing Contest; World Pumpkin Pie Eating Competition (amateurs on Saturday, professionals on Sunday)

WEEKEND #6: October 20 & 21 – 13^th Annual Trebuchet (catapult) Contest with local high school teams (practice Saturday, contest Sunday); Dinosaurs in the Corn Maze; In Jest Juggling & Comedy Show

WEEKEND #7: October 27 & 28 – FINAL WEEKEND; Costume Contest; Dinosaurs in the Corn Maze.

The Fall Festival at the Great Pumpkin Farm in Clarence returns for its 23^rd year on Saturday, September 15!  For seven consecutive weekends, the whole family can enjoy the thrill of the amusement rides, hayrides and corn maze, relish picking out their pumpkins, homemade donuts, pies, cookies and pastries, selecting the perfect Halloween decorations and watching special events, such as the World Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest, the Trebuchet Contest and Oinktoberfest, New York State’s BBQ Cook-off – and so much more

Here’s what’s happening opening weekend, September 15 and 16

Again this year our opening weekend has been declared Armed Forces Weekend, in collaboration with WNYHeroes, Inc.  The regular admission fee will be waived for active duty and retired military, police or fire department personnel who present proper identification to WNYHeroes representatives at the gate; they will also be permitted to bring one guest for free.

MercyFlight, which provides emergency medical care via air and ground transportation, will be here with Beulah, the organization’s educational BO-105 helicopter. Festivalgoers can enjoy taking photos near Beulah and learn more about Mercy Flight’s lifesaving, non-profit mission (and maybe win a prize or two!) at the Mercy Flight booth.

We have some exciting special entertainment scheduled, too – back by popular demand!  Don’t miss Sylvia Fletcher & Friends Ventriloquism – this exciting show will amaze you and make you laugh! Plus, our ever-popular animatronic dinosaurs, Vinnie and Teddy, will be roaming the cornmaze both days from noon to 4:00 p.m. looking for their prey…will it be YOU???

Do you like magic?  Then you’ll LOVE the magic experience of Mike & Annie in the Pumpkin Palace (next to the Cackling Hen Revue).  It’s hilarious, it’s audience participation…and it’s FREE with your festival admission!

All your favorites are back!

You’ll also be able to enjoy all your favorite attractions, such as the Cornmaze; Boo Barn; amusement rides; I Got It Game; Cow Train; Jumping Pillows; Magic Show; Zombie Train; hayrides and so much more!  The Halloween store will be open, as will the bakery, where you can purchase donuts, cider, candy and other confections.  Enjoy your favorite food item at our Food Grove, or your favorite potion (and musical entertainment) at the Witches Brew Bar & Café.

There are a few more surprises scheduled for opening weekend, including some new features!  So grab the entire family and head on out to the Great Pumpkin Farm for opening weekend September 15-16 – or any weekend through October 28 – from 10 am until dusk.  Get admission prices and discounted ticket information.

Get more information about Opening Weekend 2018.

This weekend is the final weekend of the Fall Festival at the Great Pumpkin Farm in Clarence but, as with every other weekend, there’s no shortage of fun! On Saturday, October 28 and Sunday, October 29, the annual costume contest will take place, with prizes being awarded for Cutest Costume, Scariest Costume and Most Creative Costume. At 1:30 p.m. both days, prizes will be awarded in the ages 0-6 and 7-16 categories; at 4:00 p.m., prizes will be awarded in the ages 17 and up category.

And – BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! – Vinnie and Dino, the animatronic dinosaurs, will roam the corn maze from noon until 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, looking for prey!

Girl Scouts of Western New York will be at the Fall Festival both days with FREE craft projects and information on joining the organization.

As with every weekend at the Fall Festival, there’s something for everyone, including the corn maze, hay maze, magic show, Boo Barn, amusement rides and more. Guests can also purchase pumpkins, gourds, mums and cornstalks and visit the bakery for freshly baked pies, cookies, pastries, candy and cider.

Area high school technology teams have been working for weeks to design and build trebuchets (pronounced treb-yeh-SHETs) to compete in this weekend’s annual Pumpkin Catapult Contest, as part of The Great Pumpkin Farm’s Fall Festival. Fifteen teams from 13 area schools are scheduled to compete for distance and accuracy and with enough precision to win cash prizes for their schools and prestige for their teams.

Practice shots take place on Saturday, October 21 and the competition starts at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 22, with winners being announced at approximately 4:00 p.m.*

High school teams competing this year on Sunday include:

• Buffalo Academy of Science
• Clarence High School
• Depew High School
• Forestville Central School District
• Genesee Valley Central
• Hamburg Central
• Harkness Career & Technical Center (2 teams)
• Henrietta G. Lewis Campus School
• Holland Central
• North Tonawanda High School
• Oakfield Alabama Central School District (2 teams)
• Pioneer High School
• Williamsville South High School

A trebuchet is a slingshot-like weapon used in medieval siege warfare that relies only on counterweight – no springs, motors, or agents like gun powder – to hurl large stones or other missiles. In this competition, pumpkins are the “missiles.”

Teams are required to design, build and test their trebuchet using knowledge learned in math, science and technology courses. Trebuchets must be constructed only of wood and the hardware necessary for assembly; no other materials can be used, except for reinforcement of gussets and load-bearing areas, and trebuchets must meet requirements set forth by the rules of the contest.

Cash prizes are awarded for the longest distance shot, highest total combined shots and for “storming the castle”(hitting a target 150 feet away).  All teams receive a plaque for participating.

Students from Depew High School took two of the top three honors last year: Longest Single Throw (483 feet) and Combined Throws (total of 1,396 feet). Nichols School took the Storming the Castle trophy.