Festivals & Events
NOCtoberfest
|
| October 26th |
Time | Location |
| Flint Ridge Fall 5-Miler Late Registration |
8:00am | Flint Ridge Trailhead |
| Flint Ridge Fall 5-Miler Race Start |
9:00am | Flint Ridge Trailhead |
| Flint Ridge Fall 5-Miler Awards |
11:00am | Slow Joe's Café |
| Pumpkin Decorating | 12:00pm | Event Tent near Slow Joe's Café |
| Great Pumpkin Pursuit | 2:00pm | Concrete Beach above Nantahala Falls |
| Great Pumpkin Pursuit Awards & Raffle |
3:30pm | Slow Joe's Café |
| Costume Contest | 3:30pm | Slow Joe's Café |
| Live Music w/ Chalwa | 4:00pm | Slow Joe's Café |
The Great Pumpkin Pursuit
Saturday, October 26th @ 2pm
Join in this free-for-all dash through Nantahala Falls! Rafts of costumed NOCer's will disperse 400 numbered pumpkins into the Nantahala. Paddlers will compete to collect as many pumpkins as possible, as entries into our famous Great Pumpkin Pursuit raffle. After the on-the-water fun we'll hold a drawing for prizes including a $500 gift card to NOC's Outfitter's Store, Astral PFDs and more. Of course, the more numbered pumpkins a paddler collects, the better their chances to win a prize in the drawing.
See bottom of page for Great Pumpkin Pursuit rules and contest information.
Pumpkin Decorating and Costume Contests
For the non-paddlers in the family, we'll be hosting a pumpkin decorating contest and a costume contest following the Pumpkin Pursuit. NOC will supply pumpkin decorating and carving supplies, and contestants will have over two hours to work their pumpkin magic. (Kids must be accompanied by an adult).
Anything goes with costumes, but please be respectful of families and children. We'll have a couple of categories, and prizes for the winners. Plus, we'll reserve a prize for the best costume worn on the water by a Great Pumpkin Pursuit contestant.
Costume Contest judging and awards will take place directly following the Great Pumpkin Purusit
Live Music at the Pourover Pub
Immediately following the raffle drawing and costume contest, enjoy live music with Chalwa at Slow Joe's Cafe. Listen to some great reggae tunes, warm up with hot or cold beverages, and toast your back (or some marshmallows) around fire-master Ron Mitchske's bonfire. A perfect way to savor the autumn chill.
Great Pumpkin Pursuit Rules/Contest Information
Start is at 2:00pm. This event is intended to be a free-for-all, and we appreciate the ingenuity of the contestants. But there are omnipresent rules. Please make note of the meeting place and safety precautions!
- You must sign a waiver in order to participate. To win a prize you must present a signed waiver.
- Participants must look after themselves and other paddlers. Note that helmets are required on all participants, even those who would not normally wear a helmet on the Nantahala.
- Courteous behavior to other contestants is required. No stealing of pumpkins or unnecessary contact is permitted.
- Contestants gather at the concrete beach above Nantahala Falls for a short competitors meeting. Attendance at this meeting and a signed waiver are required from all contestants both land-based and water-based.
- Contestants get into their boats, and await the lead pumpkin raft. The first tossed pumpkin from the lead raft will be the signal to begin.
- Over 400 pumpkins will be tossed by water-born rafts, as well as land-based staff and volunteers to ensure a fair, even distribution of pumpkins. Contestants will gather as many pumpkins as they can, while also racing to the finish. Bonus pumpkins will be awarded to the first paddlers to cross the finish line at the Founder's Bridge.
- The main pack of paddlers pursuing the raft train will likely be quite hectic. We advise juniors and more conservative paddlers to stake out a position near the bottom of the Falls to cherry-pick pumpkins from relative safety (we will allow them to go ahead of the main train). Several paddlers have rolled in the past, and it is possible that an inverted boater in the main crunch of the pack could get caught up in the raft train or be bumped off-line.
- Note that the pumpkin-tossing rafts will be focused on tossing pumpkins, not navigation. It is possible they will run over boaters that get too close. So watch out for the event staff too!
- Again, all boaters are welcome to put in below the falls and find comfortable starting points, but all contestants must paddle across the finish line with their pumpkins to be eligible for prizes!
- After the pursuit, contestants will gather at Slow Joe's Cafe for the drawing. Each numbered pumpkin corresponds to a number in the hat. Thus, those with the most pumpkins have the best chance to win a prize (only one prize per person though), and paddlers with only one pumpkin still have a chance to win the top prize.
This event is one of the most fun paddling events you'll ever experience, so have fun! Just be prepared to think safety first.
