Lake Charles Pumpkin Chunkin' Contest Returns to I-10 North Beach

KNGT | Lake Charles, LA — I was doom scrolling through Facebook the other day, minding my own business, when I came across what might be one of the coolest events I've seen in Southwest Louisiana. Y'all, they're getting ready to launch pumpkins through the air at the beach in Lake Charles! I'm not talking about tossing a pumpkin across the yard. I'm talking about building a machine and seeing just how far you can send that sucker flying!

Now, I don't know about y'all, but this sounds like something I need to see in person. The City of Lake Charles and the Region 5 STEM Center are teaming up again for the Lake Charles Pumpkin Chunkin' Contest, and it's happening Saturday, November 7, 2026, at I-10 North Beach. And the best part? It's completely free to come watch! They're Really Gonna Launch Pumpkins Across the Beach!

So here's how this whole thing works. Teams get together and build their very own pumpkin-launching machines. Then they bring those creations out to North Beach and put them to the test. The goal is pretty simple. Launch your pumpkin as far as you possibly can.

Forget Carving Pumpkins, Lake Charles Is Launching Them!

I can only imagine some of the machines these folks are gonna build. You know somebody is gonna show up with something that looks like it belongs in a medieval battle. And somebody else is probably gonna build something that looks like it came straight out of their grandpa's shop. Either way, I'm here for it.

The whole event is built around STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. Basically, they're taking things kids learn in school and turning them into something a whole lot more exciting. Because let's face it, figuring out how to launch a pumpkin across a beach sounds way more fun than sitting at a desk doing math problems.

The contest is divided into three different groups so everybody gets a fair shot at showing off their skills.
Middle School
High School
Post-High School

That last division has me thinking. You mean to tell me grown adults can get together, build a pumpkin cannon, and compete against other grown adults? Where has this event been all my life?

Registration is already open for teams wanting to compete. Mark your calendars because this sounds like a pretty good way to spend a Saturday in Southwest Louisiana.

Lake Charles Pumpkin Chunkin' Contest
Date: Saturday, November 7th, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Location: I-10 North Beach in Lake Charles, Louisiana
Admission: FREE and open to the public

You don't have to build anything or enter the contest to enjoy it. Just show up and watch these teams put their creations to work. I think this would be a pretty cool event to bring the kids to. They get to see science and engineering in action, and you get to watch pumpkins go flying through the air. That's what I call a win-win.

And knowing how competitive folks around Southwest Louisiana can get, I wouldn't be surprised if somebody spends the next few weekends in their shop trying to figure out how to launch a pumpkin into the next parish.

Now I'm sitting here wondering just how far one of these things can actually fly. I guess we're gonna find out November 7th at North Beach! For more information, check out the City of Lake Charles website or find the City of Lake Charles on Facebook.