PENNSYLVANIA, USA — This fall, Pennsylvanians of all ages can express their artistic skills while also supporting local farmers.
The state's Agriculture Secretary, Russell Redding, announced PA Preferred's pumpkin carving contest. Titled PA Pumpkin Palooza: Where Gourds Go Glam, Secretary Redding hopes that this contest will benefit local farms and pumpkin patches.
"Pennsylvania has a pumpkin patch around every corner and a farmer producing the best quality products on the market,” said Secretary Redding in a press release. “Take time this fall for some fun on the farm and pick a PA pumpkin to express your creative support for Pennsylvania farms. Not only will your PA pumpkin pride shine all season, but your purchasing power helps farmers feed families, support jobs and grow our economy.”
Pumpkin submissions begin on Monday, Sept. 23, and end on Sunday, Oct. 20. Winners will be announced on Halloween.
To participate, contestants can email a photo of their pumpkins and their basic information, including name, age, hometown and county, email address, phone number and farm where their pumpkins were bought to agcontests@pa.gov.
Judges will decide winners from two categories: painted pumpkins and carved pumpkins. Winners from each category will be in three age groups: Child (11 and under), Youth (12-17) and Adult (18+). Winners' submissions will be featured on PA Preferred's official Instagram account and the Department of Agriculture's Facebook Page. They will also receive a PA Preferred swag bag.
Full details for the contest can be found here.
