It takes a lot for me to get all layered up on such a cold dark day with a chance of showers in October and get out of the house. I just knew though that before I left Nova Scotia, I had to witness Windsor’s Pumpkin Regatta. We parked by the fort and made our way downhill into the town known for being the birthplace of hockey and giant pumpkins.
There was a big parade going on that included zombies. Already a thumbs up for me!
Everyone wandered down to the waterfront to find their spot to watch the big race.
In the meantime there were tons of places to pick up fair food to keep yourself busy and even maybe warm up a little.
We were at the finish line but across the water you could see a giant crowd at the beginning of the race.
It took quite a while though before things started moving so I took this photo of Jen, me and Emily.
Mike and Jen got fries to snack on. There were also homemade potato chips that everyone seemed to have that I would have loved! Problem is, by the time you got some the race would be over. The lineup was insane.
I realized quite quickly that we were going to be waiting for quite a long with no place to rest. Reg, being such a sweetie, went back to the car to get me a chair and a wool blanket. I was extremely grateful. This is the worst weather for my fibro: freezing cold and dampness in the air. By the end of the race, I was in a ton of pain but it would have been so much worse without the chair!
Even though it was very cool they had a town crier to open the ceremonies, the speeches were quite… generous. Thank god for that chair!
Finally I the race was on and all eyes were across the water.
The first part of the race was the motorized giant pumpkin boats. There were three competitors but only one made is across the lake. Congrats!
Then we were on to the human-powered giant pumpkin boats and from the beginning, there was one boat that stood out as the winner.
Sure enough contestant #6 swooshed by us.
Followed by zombie competitor #27. Now that was motivation for #6 to win!
There were many pumpkin boats on the water and from what we could see, only one capsized. I would not have wanted to be that person yesterday!
There were literally all kinds of characters on the water paddling their hearts out.
This was a particular favourite of mine.
Took a while but she did it and look at all those pumpkin boats!
We even had a KISS rock star make his way to the finish line/dock. It was great to see how many people stayed for the entire event, rooting everybody on. Which is saying something considering how bloody cold it was.
From there half our group decided to go back to the city since all the local pubs and cafes were packed with people. We decided to drive up to Wolfville for hot food and coffee.
I have walked past Paddy’s Brew Pub every time I have been in Wolfville and wondered what it was like inside.
I did not see the menu until I was leaving so if you are curious, it is beside the pub on the left-hand side next to the guy in the top hat.
Very bright, warm and cheery. Perfect place to warm up and have an early dinner.
We all ended up having coffee with dinner and their decaf was the real deal. In fact they put on a new pot for me, which I was grateful for. I had their smoked meat sandwich on rye. I asked for extra mustard and did they deliver, just the way I like.
I also substituted regular fries for sweet potato and asked to try all the different mayos they had with my meal. They were all so good I just kept going from one to the other. They also served it with a full pickle, not just a sliver and damn, it was sour. Yum!
Reg got the same meal with regular fries and did not eat the pickle, too sour for him. If I was not so flippin’ full I would have had his too. BTW, hot mustard means Dijon here. I got regular but Reg wanted the heat.
Jen got the nachos and Mike got one of the last smoked haddock soups of the day. Overall, we had a great meal and the service was incredible. Seriously, they were constantly coming to our table to refill our cups of coffee and check on us. It was amazing!
When I got home I wrapped my feet in our heating pad and made myself some hot chocolate. A great foodie day out but I think it is going to be my last now that the cold weather is here.
Giant pumpkins, zombies, smoked meat and hot decaf coffee? Totally worth it!
And yes, it may just well be my last Halloween in Nova Scotia. No official news yet and the weird thing is, I have no idea where we will be next year. Just really glad I finally got to experience the pumpkin race before I we say adios to the east coast.
What a fabulous event. I loved the town crier and those giant pumpkins were amazing.
I’m sorry you were in pain but that meal after the race was something else. I love going to a place that really puts an effort in not only the food but the service as well.
I love the idea of that crazy pumpkin boat race!
Maureen, ever since I saw this even on an episode of Martha Stewart I have wanted to go! Yes, pumpkins, a race and a great dinner with fabulous service, that is hard to beat.
Debra, isn’t it the coolest?! I mean I just had to go! I could not, not go. Love it. And I wasn’t expecting people to dress up, that was amazing too.