By Jessica Schultz
Winter is coming, the weather is turning colder and Fall is fading away. It’s a bittersweet time of year but don’t let the pre-winter blues get you down. You can come out to 5462 Robbins Road in Ellicottville, NY and visit the Ellicottville Distillery on November 5th at 12p for Punkin Chunkin 2022! This is the perfect way to say goodbye to the season. The Villager had a chance to speak with owner Bryan Scarf about this year’s event.
The Villager (V): Punkin Chunkin 2022, what’s new for the event this year?
Bryan Scharf (B): “This is the 4th annual pumpkin chunkin. A friend nick Wendel and his team Urban Siege come down to the distillery with their trebuchet. It is a French style of catapult that has a counter weight and a sling that will add distance to a thrown object.”
V: What exactly happen at the event?
B: “At 12pm we will load pumpkins on to the trebuchet. The trebuchet can throw a pumpkin over 800 yards and it’ll go over the hill behind the distillery. It’s an impressive machine.”
V: How many pumpkins to you expect to go through and what’s the largest one you’re thinking you’ll be tossing?
B: “We’ll start throwing pumpkins at noon, and will toss one every half hour until dark. We actually don’t throw regular pumpkins but more like harder gourds. They typically weigh around 8-10 pounds. We go through quite a few but we don’t really keep track of how many, we just keep launching until the daylight is gone.”
V: Is this a family friendly event or adults only?
B: “This is definitely a family friendly event. Dress warm, enjoy the entertainment, grab some tasty food and enjoy the perfect way to spend a weekend.”
V: “Oooh, tasty food. What kind?”
B: “Carson’s BBQ of Ashford will be serving up their delicious Chicken and Ribs bbq with sides like cole slaw, potato salad, mac n’ cheese and salt potatoes. Price for the chicken bbq is $15 and rib dinner is $24. Their season is almost over, so this is another thing you don’t want to miss you on.”
V: Will there be other entertainment?
B: “Yes, we’ll have The Hick Ups playing from 3-6. They are a group of locals who do a mix of country, bluegrass and classic rock. The band consists of The Villager’s own Jack Little on bass, Kevin Mcclory on dobro, Mike Rocco on banjo and Bob Muhlbauer on guitar.”
V: Anything else you would like to add?
B: “We hope everyone can come out and enjoy the weekend with us. Let’s all hope for good weather.”
Thank you, Bryan for taking the time to speak with us about this year’s Punkin Chunkin. More information can be found on the Ellicottville Distillery Facebook page or by visiting ellicottvilledistillery.com