From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 2, spectators can spend a day on the I-10 North Beach watching fall-themed “high-flying fun.”

The annual “Pumpkin Chunkin’ Contest” has returned. Each year, teams from area middle and high schools compete to build their own trebuchets – a launcher that uses a counter sling weight – to “chunk” pumpkins across the beach. The further the gourd goes, the higher the team scores.

The contest is the result of the shared mission of the City of Lake Charles and the Region 5 STEM Center to make STEM education fun and engaging.

“The STEM field touches so many career paths, especially here in Southwest Louisiana,” said Hannah Veazey, assistant director of community services, City of Lake Charles. “We want kids of all ages to know that the STEM field is an exciting one and there are so many opportunities available for them to have fun while learning.”

Each age division competes to earn a trophy and “some serious bragging rights,” she said.

Veazey said they are “closer and closer” to creating a perfect competition each year. A notable change from the inaugural competition is who brings the pumpkins. The first year, pumpkins were supplied by the City. Now, teams bring their own pumpkins to make sure they are well-suited for the trebuchets they built.

“The City will provide a few extra cantaloupe-sized pumpkins for teams to use, but best practice is to bring some that perfectly fit your machine!”

So far, six teams from six schools have signed up to compete. Veazey said there is still room for all age groups to register.

“If you have a team that has been working on a trebuchet for STEM programming, send them our way.”

A food truck will be available for spectators to purchase lunch.

Registration for the contest is open. Interested teams can call the Region 5 STEM Center at 337.217.4390, ext. 5335 or email reg5stem.center@cpsb.org.

This event is free and open to the public.