From pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin muffins to pumpkin candles and pumpkin lotion…if it’s pumpkin, then I’m all in! Yes, you might say I’ve gotten a bit caught up in the pumpkin craze. Is it any surprise, then, that I was excited when I learned about the World Championship Punkin’ Chunkin’ Contest when doing quality checks for What’s Great about Delaware? (cover pictured).

In this contest—which we dedicate an entire spread to in the Our Great States title on Delaware—more than twenty thousand visitors to the city of Dover compete to see who can launch a pumpkin the farthest. They use homemade catapults and even cannons. One year, a pumpkin traveled almost 4,700 feet!

In addition to tossing pumpkins, guests at the event can listen to live music, try chili from the chili cook-off, purchase arts and crafts, and play games or take a ride on a mechanical bull. But just the word pumpkin was enough for me. This year—since a trip to Delaware isn’t in the cards—I’ll be making a pumpkin-spice-latte toast to the event from here in Minneapolis as the contest kicks off on November 7. Happy Punkin’ Chunkin’ Day, everyone!