RAPID CITY, S.D. – Thousands of people packed downtown Rapid City over the weekend for the Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival, where engineering students launched pumpkins hundreds of feet through the air using custom-built siege engines.
The annual tradition, now in its 18th year, features teams from South Dakota Mines competing with devices ranging from wooden slingshots to large steel trebuchets and tension-powered launchers.
Teams earn points by hitting distance targets at 100, 200 and 300 feet, with accuracy playing a major role in scoring.
Student competitors said designing and building the launchers is a highlight of the event, along with showcasing their work for the community. Organizers say the festival continues to draw large crowds each year as spectators watch pumpkins soar across downtown.
After the competition ended, cleanup crews worked quickly to remove hundreds of pounds of pumpkin debris left behind by the launches.
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