The organizers of Stillwater Harvest Fest have found the perfect recipe for a successful fall festival: giant pumpkins, giant pumpkins and, yes, even more giant pumpkins.

“Giant pumpkins make people smile,” said Cassie McLemore, event coordinator. “They are a smashing good time. It’s all for fun, and fun for all.”

The 19th annual Stillwater Harvest Fest, this weekend in Lowell Park in downtown Stillwater, will feature a giant pumpkin weigh-off, a giant pumpkin regatta, where participants paddle hollowed-out gourds down the St. Croix River, and a giant pumpkin drop from a 100-foot crane.

This summer’s rainy weather and a couple of hailstorms mean the likelihood of a world record again being set at Stillwater Harvest Fest are slim, but there will still be several giant pumpkins weighing in at more than 2,000 pounds, said McLemore, who works for Summer Tuesday Inc., the organization that puts on Harvest Fest, Summer Tuesdays and Best Wings in the Valley.

Also on tap for Stillwater Harvest Fest: a child costume parade, a variety of local food vendors and performances from Joe Flip, Jacuzzi Puma, Jennifer Grimm & Free and Easy.

A free shuttle will be provided from Stillwater Middle School, Cub corporate headquarters and Pioneer Park.

The Stillwater Harvest Fest takes place 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13, at Lowell Park in downtown Stillwater. Admission is free.

Info: harvestfeststillwater.com.

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