Shelburne, N.S., hosts first pumpkin regatta

Shelburne’s pumpkin regatta Shelburne, N.S., made a splash Saturday by hosting an autumn pumpkin regatta.

Skies in Shelburne, N.S., cleared just in time for paddlers to compete in their first regatta competition Saturday.

Four competitors made a splash in the waterfront as they raced one another inside a pumpkin.

Nearly a thousand people showed up to the event, cheering on the players paddling.

Rower Ryan Foley jumped at the opportunity to race close friends to the finish line.

“I would love to say that I’ve been training for this for months but we literally went in, gave each other a high five and said let’s stay dry as long as possible," he said.

The race lasted about six minutes. Foley made it to the finish line first, taking with him a trophy shaped like a pumpkin and winning bragging rights.

The pumpkin regatta is usually hosted in Windsor, N.S., however, due to the lack of water on the lake, the Municipality of Shelburne decided to host the event in their backyard.

“We called them and asked for their support and advice on how we could bring this to Shelburne and they were really great and offered us all the support we needed to make this happen today,” said Val Kean, director of economic and community development for the Municipality of the District of Shelburne.

Kean said people can expect this event to come back next year with more pumpkins, food trucks, and competitors.