Flaming pumpkins will fly through the evening sky at Saxon Estate Winery in early November.
The winery will hold its Flamin’ Pumpkin Chunkin’ event on Nov. 5 from 4 to 8 p.m. The event is a fundraiser for the Summerland Food Bank and NeighbourLink.
Jayne Graydon of Saxon Estate Winery said the idea for the pumpkin event comes from the Guy Fawkes Night celebrations, held on Nov. 5 in the United Kingdom.
Guy Fawkes Night is a commemoration of the Gunpowder Plot, an unsuccessful attempt to blow up the British parliament on Nov. 5, 1605.
The celebrations include bonfires in many cities, towns and villages in the United Kingdom.
“We make effigies of Guy Fawkes and throw them on the fire,” Graydon said.
The event in Summerland will not include effigies of Fawkes. Instead, used Halloween pumpkins will be lit on fire and flung through the air, using a trebuchet.
“The pumpkins will have a sad ending,” Graydon said.
Members of the Adrian Empire, a group dedicated to the study and recreation of medieval and renaissance history and culture, will operate the trebuchet.
Graydon said the fiery pumpkins will be propelled more than 30 metres.
Those who wish to see their pumpkins launched are asked to bring a used pumpkin, a $5 donation and an item to donate to the food bank.
A similar event held last year, but without the pumpkins, raised more than $500 and 50 kilograms of food for the food bank.
