Racers check in 11:15 to 11:30 AM at the Spooky Snack Shack. Racing starts at noon. Every car is inspected at check-in. Free to watch, and all ages are welcome to race, with no separate age brackets.

HOW IT WORKS

Pick a pumpkin from our field, take it home, decorate it, mount the wheels, and bring it back to race on Sunday October 25. Cars are released at the start line and roll on gravity alone.

ENTRIES

Entry is the Pumpkin Derby Kit at $30, which includes one you-pick pumpkin, a derby kit, and a place in the race. A pumpkin on its own is $8. Sign up and pay at the Spooky Snack Shack, where you will get your kit and a copy of the rules. There are 30 race slots. Entries close when pumpkin sales end on Sunday October 18 at 4pm, or sooner if the field sells out.

The kit contains 2 axles, 4 wheels, and the nuts and washers to hold it together. Kits are built to fit our track, so kit parts only.

RACE RULES

Race the pumpkin you picked here, bought with your entry.

Use the kit only. Both axles go through the pumpkin, front and back, with all 4 wheels on the axles. No boards, skateboards, toy-car bases or outside wheels.

No added weight. Nothing inside, nothing heavy on top. No carving, hollowing, or filling with sand, rocks, clay, water or metal. No weights glued, taped or attached anywhere.

Decorate with paint, markers and stickers. Surface decoration only. Nothing that hangs off, drags on the ground, or changes how the car rolls.

Gravity only. No motors, batteries, fans, springs or pushing.

Inspection at check-in. Any car that breaks a rule must be fixed before it races, or it cannot race. The judge's call is final.

HEATS

Four cars per heat, with the winner of each heat advancing to round two. We run heats until one winner is left. A damaged pumpkin must still attempt its next heat to stay in.

PRIZES

Fan Favorite, voted on site for the pumpkin people think will win.

Best Dressed, voted on site for the best decoration.

Gift cards for the final four racers.

A trophy for the top racer, returned by the next Great Punka Race to pass on to the following winner.

Pumpkins are picked from the field here at the brewery.