Giant pumpkins for virginia festival

The eight Virginia Pumpkin Festival takes place from the 24th to 28th October and offers a weekend with lots of pumpkins, spooky fun and entertainment for all the family. 
Ireland’s youngest pumpkin grower, Daragh Cullen aged five from Cornafein, Co Cavan will be entering his pumpkin into the ‘giant pumpkin weigh off’. 
He tells us that it currently weighs 400lbs, just over 28½ stone and it is still growing.  He got the love of pumpkin growing from his grandfather Gerard MacSein who last year won the prize in the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off with his 680lbs (over 48½ stone) pumpkin.   
This year’s Pumpkin Festival has something for all the family and kicks off on Friday 24th with ‘Forest of Fears’ which will take petrified walkers through the naturally spooky Deepak Woods to grounds of the Virginia Park Lodge which is now owned by Chef Richard Corrigan. 
Along the journey, expect to be greeted by zombies, vampires, ghosts, witches, mutant spiders and lots of scary sights and sounds.
 On Saturday morning there will be a Festival 5k Fun Run/Walk in aid of St. Vincent DePaul and Virginia Cancer Care and the day will continue with lots to do for all the family including an Artisan Food and Craft Fair which is also open on Sunday. A Children’s Party will take place on Saturday morning in the Virginia Show Centre and a Walking Treasure Hunt of Virginia will be held in the afternoon. On Saturday night an ‘Aristocrats Pumpkin Ball’ will be hosted by renowned chef Richard Corrigan in the Virginia Park Lodge.
 On Sunday the Virginia Pumpkin Festival offers all day family entertainment from 12 noon and the now famous Pumpkin Festival Parade and Fireworks Display will take place on Sunday evening starting at 5pm when the parade of music, dance and light makes its way through the darkened street throng before  the spectacular lakeside firework display at the lakeshore.  
On Sunday night, Ireland’s largest Fancy Dress Party will take place in the Virginia Show Centre with over 2,000 party goers expected to attend and a prize fund of €2,000 for the best costumes. 
On the Monday night, Ramor United will hold a Monster Bingo Night and the last event of the festival weekend is ‘Noise Junior Disco’ where teenagers can celebrate the mid-term break at the Pumpkin Festival with DJ Ali B on Tuesday night from 9pm to 11pm.  Full details of all events at this year’s Virginia Pumpkin Festival can be found on www.pumpkinfestival.ie and on Facebook.