Fall is in the air, so that must mean that it is almost time for the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta! The Pumpkin Regatta, brought to you by the City of Tualatin Parks and Recreation Department, has become one of the most anticipated events in the Northwest. In 2022, over 20,000 people gathered to watch the spectacle of costumed characters paddling 1,000-pound pumpkin boats in a series of wacky races.
The Regatta has something for everyone! On Sunday, October 22, start the day at Tualatin Community Park for the 5k Regatta Run/Walk. At 10:00 a.m., the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta festival opens at the Lake of the Commons. Try pumpkin bowling, pumpkin golf, pumpkin checkers, costume contests, pumpkin crafts, and an amazing selection of food trucks and tasty treats.
Spectators will have the opportunity to catch the races at two different times! At noon, watch the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers race, followed by the Regatta sponsors. At 2 p.m., Tualatin Police, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, and paddlers from as far as Florida, Texas and Canada battle it out in three more races.
Visit the City’s website for a complete list of activities, information on parking, the Pumpkin Shuttle, and the all-new bike valet at TualatinOregon.Gov/PumpkinRegatta. Admission is free, and so are most activities!
Kick-off Regatta weekend with Pumpkins and Pints on Saturday, October 21, at Stickmen Brewery in Tualatin. Watch the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers compete in the Terminator Weigh-Off with enormous pumpkins, gourds, long beans, and more. Enjoy Stickmen’s craft beer and wood-fired pizza.
The Pumpkin Regatta would not be possible without the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers. This year, we welcome Island sponsor Toyota. Sasquash sponsors include A&R Solar, Café Yumm, Explore Tualatin Valley, LeafFilter, Legacy GoHealth Urgent Care, and Rivermark Community Credit Union. Gourdzilla Sponsors include AAA Oregon/Idaho, Impact Action Sports, June Taylor School of Dance, New Seasons Market, Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, Renewal by Andersen and Stickmen Brewing Company. Community and In-Kind sponsors include Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe, Grimms Fuel, Student Transportation of America, Tualatin Island Greens, Lee Farms and Willowbrook Arts Camp.
Treasure Hunters will enjoy the Regatta Medallion Hunt! Look for the bronze Regatta medallion that is hidden somewhere on City property. You can find a new clue every Thursday between September 28 and October 19 on the City of Tualatin website. The person who finds the medallion will win a fantastic prize package, including a bronze medallion of their own!
About the Pumpkin Regatta/Schedule of Events
In 2004, the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers were looking for a location to do an end-of-season paddle with a handful of giant pumpkins. Today, the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta, held at the Lake of the Commons, has grown into an event with a national reputation that draws tens of thousands of people each year.
Over the past 20 years, the award-winning West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta has become Oregon’s most anticipated Fall event. Spectators come from not only the Pacific Northwest but also from all over the United States and Canada. The event has been featured by a wide variety of local, regional, national, and international media outlets, including Wild Travels on OPB, CNN, The Travel Channel, and more. It has been named one of the Seven Best Fall Festivals in the United States by National Geographic and One of the top 24 Fall Festivals in the United States by US News and World Report.
The Regatta also includes kids’ costume contests, pumpkin bowling, pumpkin golf, clown shows, souvenirs, hot food and much more.
The Regatta wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers! The PGVG and their members are the generous people who supply the pumpkins for the Regatta. For more information about the PGVG, growing giant vegetables, or participating in the Terminator weigh-off at the Regatta, visit their website at www.pgvg.org.
Admission to the festival is free, as are most of the activities.
Schedule of Events
10:00 a.m. Welcome and Sponsor Recognition by Mayor Bubenik
10:15 a.m Tualatin High School Marching Band Pep Rally
11:00 a.m. Mz Pearl Variety Show
12:00 p.m. Pumpkin Races 1 & 2 – Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers and Sponsors
1:00 p.m. Mz Pearl Variety Show
2:00 p.m. Pumpkin Races 3, 4, & 5 – Tualatin PD, TVF&R, Lottery Winners
3:00 p.m. Kids’ Costume Contest
4:00 p.m. Event Closes
Pumpkin Races
The pumpkin races will be at 12 p.m. & 2 p.m.
12:00 p.m.:
Heat One: This race is for members of the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers. This fabulous club grows the pumpkins for the Regatta. They paddle their own pumpkins or can have a friend paddle for them.
Heat Two: This race is for our Sasquash Sponsors and invited special guests.
2:00 p.m.:
Heat Three: Tualatin Police, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue and paddlers from the lottery race in the TuCPF fundraiser.
Heat Four These races are for the people
& Five who were selected from the lottery.
Getting there:
The Pumpkin Shuttle is back! Park in one of the many lots along the route and hop on the Pumpkin Shuttle, which takes you to the main entrance of the event. Parking is available at Kaiser Permanente, Bellagio’s Pizza, The Oregon Clinic, and Hedges Green Shopping Center.
Please respect the no parking signs
and our neighbors that are open for business that day.
ADA parking is available at 8460 SW Nyberg Street on the west side of the lake.
New this year! Bike Valet – guests are encouraged to ride their bikes to the Regatta and check their bikes at the Bike Valet located next to the food court at 84th and Seneca.
Activities
- Pumpkin Bowling – Knock down bowling pins using a pumpkin in one of four bowling lanes. Sponsored by the Tualatin High School Booster Club.
- Pumpkin Golf – Try to hit floating golf balls into pumpkins in the lake for a prize. Sponsored by Newberg High School Drama Club.
- Pumpkin Tic Tac Toe – Look for tic tac toe around the lake and play with mini pumpkins.
- Pumpkin Checkers – Stop and play pumpkin checkers at one of the boards set up around the lake
- Pumpkin Decorating – Sponsored by Tualatin Together
- Kids’ Costume Contest – Sign-up begins at 10:00 a.m. at the Information Tent. Limit of 25 kids per age group.
- Clown extraordinaire Heather Pearl will be back to entertain the crowd with Mz. Pearl’s Variety Show
- Zombie Shoot Out – Sponsored by Impact Action Sports
- Face Painting
- Craft Tent – Sponsored by Willowbrook Arts Camp
- Professional Pumpkin Carvers – Watch pro carvers Tom Lindskog and Tim Pate work their magic
- Giant Pumpkin Selfie Station – Snap a pic with the top three winners from the Terminator Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off
- Regatta Swag – Visit one of the two souvenir tents to pick up Regatta t-shirts, posters, stickers, and more!
- Giant Coloring Mural
Food and Artisan Vendors/Sponsor Booths
FOOD VENDORS
Visit the all-new food court located at 84th and Nyberg St. Look for the bright-colored balloon towers at the entrance!
Food Court:
- Arrow Coffee and Desserts – Hot and Cold Espresso Drinks and Desserts
- Cousins Maine Lobster – Lobster Rolls and Tacos, Shrimp Tacos, Lobster Tail and Tots
- Qualiserve – Elephant Ears, Mediterranean Garlic Fries, Lemonade
- So Cheesy – Gourmet Grilled Cheese and Mac and Cheese
- Stoopid Burger – Burgers and fries, kids meals
- The Chop Spot – Chicken Sundaes
- Tasty Treats Around the Lake:
- Donut Land
- Lee Farms
- Pilgrim’s Roasted Nut’Z
- Miss Hannah’s Popcorn
- Vendors Are We
Restaurants around the Lake of the Commons
- Brix Tavern
- Doja Tea Lounge
- El Juan Colorado
- Izumi
- Lee’s Kitchen
- Rosie’s Kitchen
- Roxy’s Island Grill
ARTISAN VENDORS
- Brenna White Design and Illustration Regatta artist Brenna White will have prints, cards, and other artwork along with the children’s book she wrote and illustrated called How to Grow a Pumpkin! Stop by Brenna’s tent to have your poster signed by the artist!
- Lefty’s Custom Glass – Glass artist Tim Jaquet will be on the plaza selling hand-blown glass pumpkins and ghosts. Tim will also offer a Make Your Own Pumpkin Experience in his mobile glass-blowing truck. Schedule your appointment ahead of time by visiting his website at www.leftysglass.com. Space is limited.
- BBNW Candles – Fan favorite BBNW Candles will be back at the North end of the lake selling their amazing fall candles.
- Rosco & Co – Rosco & Co will be back with their adorable knit pumpkins, headwraps, beanies, and coffee cozies
SPONSOR BOOTHS
- Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers – Visit with the giant pumpkin pros to find out how they grow insanely giant vegetables and get some seeds of your own!
- Toyota
- A&R Solar
- AAA Oregon/Idaho
- Café Yumm
- Impact Action Sports
- June Taylor School of Dance
- LeafFilter
- Legacy GoHealth Urgent Care
- New Seasons Market
- Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace
- Renewal by Andersen
- Rivermark Community Credit Union
- Stickmen Brewery
- Student Transportation of America
- The Garden Corner
PUMPKINS AND PINTS
When: Saturday, October 21
Noon-5 p.m.
Location: Stickmen Brewing Company
19475 SW 118th Ave.,
Tualatin
Cost: Free
Kick-off Regatta weekend at the Pumpkins and Pints event on Saturday, October 21, at Stickmen Brewing in Tualatin. Watch the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers compete for cash prizes in the Terminator Weigh-Off. Be amazed at the enormous pumpkins, gourds, long beans, and more.
Our Tualatin Beer Hall features family style seating in a large open production brewery setting, offering wood-fired pizzas, 28 taps of house-brewed beers, wine & cider, 8 axe throwing lanes, and arcade games!
2023 Rubber Duck Raffle Regatta
The Tualatin Community Police Foundation (TUCPF) is an Oregon charity organized to promote the Tualatin Police Department’s commitment to community policing. The Foundation supports a number of programs, including “Shop with a Cop” and the Thanksgiving “Turkey instead of Tickets” program. The Rubber Duck Raffle Regatta is a major fundraiser for the Foundation and takes place during the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta at the Commons in Tualatin on October 22. If you’ve never seen grown men and women racing furiously in hollowed-out giant pumpkins, you have something to truly look forward to.
Each raffle chance is represented by a little rubber duck. On October 22, one of the giant pumpkin races will feature local law enforcement and the fire department racing in their giant pumpkins against members of the public. Participants will race out to a giant duck holding the numbered little ducks that represent the raffle purchases, grab one of the ducks (maybe yours?) and race to the finish line. The first five little ducks that cross the line win a fabulous prize.
Raffle Prizes:
1st – $700
2nd – $350
3rd – $150
4th – $100
5th – Toy K-9 Tony and Toy K-9 Onyx – A $40 Value
The prizes have all been donated by Friends of the Tualatin Community Police Foundation, so every dollar goes to help fund the Foundation’s great programs. Every online purchase will receive an email receipt with your randomly selected raffle ticket number(s).
You must buy your raffle tickets to participate. Go to the Foundation website (www.tucpf.org) to purchase before the 500 chances are sold out. Online sales end on October 21. You can also purchase your chance at the Regatta at the TUCPF booth on the lake.
Sales will close when all 500 chances are sold out or one hour before the race.
Winners will be notified by email. While it is more fun to be there, you need not be present to win.
MEDALLION HUNT
In celebration of the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta, the City of Tualatin is bringing you this year’s exciting Regatta Medallion Hunt! The series of clues will be revealed on the Regatta website and Facebook page that will lead you toward a hidden medallion. These clues, while not difficult, may require you to do a little homework.
The search will be for a 4-inch diameter bronze medallion engraved with the Regatta mascot (pictured). On the back of the medallion is information on how to redeem the medallion for a bounty of rewards! The person who finds and returns the medallion this year will win a Regatta prize package.
The medallion is hidden on public property. No digging, climbing, or tools are necessary to retrieve it. The medallion will be within 300 feet of the location of the last clue.
Clue reveal dates:
Clue #1 Available Now!
Clue #2 Available Now!
Clue #3 Available Now!
Clue #4 October 19
Visit tualatinoregon.gov/pumpkinregatta/medallion-hunt
