In the first drop of the day, dozens of onlookers watch as a crane and operator, provided by Home Hardware in Port Elgin, release a crate of giant vegetables to the waiting ground a few stories below.

Hub Staff

A smashing time was had by the dozens of onlookers gathered at the Port Elgin Missionary Church October 14 for their third annual Pumpkin Drop following their Sunday service. Food and donations for the Food Bank were collected.

On what will likely prove to be one of the final warm days and sunny this Fall, giant vegetables left over from Port Elgin Pumpkinfest were lifted high into the air, courtesy of a crane and operator provided by Port Elgin Home Hardware, and dropped to the ground a few stories below.

Pastor Gary Harvey said that the bushel gourds, which were first to meet their maker, were arranged by local grower Doug Court, who also provided the giant pumpkin that followed, plummeting to its demise.

The last giant vegetable to drop came from Shawville, Quebec and grower Todd Kline. The 1472 lb squash was the winning squash at Pumpkinfest, explained Harvey.

This pumpkin made a thud as it made contact with the ground behind Port Elgin Missionary Church at their third annual Pumpkin Drop October 14.

The innards and seeds spread several feet over the side yard of the Port Elgin Missionary Church.

Giant vegetables left over from Port Elgin Pumpkinfest were lifted into the air and dropped at the third annual Pumpkin Drop October 14.

Several bushel gourds were the first to be loaded onto the crane provided by Port Elgin Home Hardware.

Port Elgin locals, 2 year old Dianne (left) and 3, year old Leia were having fun playing with fallen leaves as they waited for the giant produce to be dropped.

The aftermath of the Pumpkin Drop. Guts and seeds were mostly what remained.