The pumpkins are grounded this year.
World Championship Punkin Chunkin cancelled its signature event Friday morning, saying permitting requirements are stricter than past events held on private farms in Sussex County.
“We were really scrambling basically from July when we started negotiations with [Dover International Speedway] to move this event. Now we’re able to sit back, breathe and put the right level of attention and detail to this,” said organization president John Huber.
It’s the first time the event has been postponed since Punkin Chunkin launched in 1985. Huber says making the final decision to cancel the event was “crushing” after inking a two-year contract with Dover International Speedway in September.
“You don’t put the kind of time that we put into this and climb the highest mountain almost to the peak and realize you can’t get to the top. I mean, that’s an emotion that’s so hard to describe it’s not even funny. And then on top of that, there’s this sense of letting a lot of people down,” said Huber.
Huber says that agreement with Dover International Speedway will be extended to 2017.
Participants will have their spots reserved for another year and customers who ordered advanced tickets will get refunds.
The organization is immediately planning for 2015, expected to be held the weekend of November 6th.
