**CONTEST CLOSED. THE GREAT PUMPKIN’S WEIGHT WAS 820 LBS. WE HAD TWO MAMAS MAKE THE SAME GUESS (817 LBS), IN WHICH CASE WE RANDOMLY SELECTED THE WINNER OF THE TWO ENTRIES. CONGRATULATIONS TO MONIQUE WESTFALL!**
I am married to a man who is obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. The end of the growing season is near and the weigh-off showcasing Colorado’s biggest pumpkins is on Saturday, September 25 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Jared’s Nursery in Littleton.
This is a child-friendly event. If your little ones are not impressed by the 1,000+-pound gourds, they will love the straw maze and obstacle course, doggy costume contest, Galleria of the Ghouls, bouncy castle, face painting and more.
To try to make sense of the madness, I am kicking off Mile High Mamas’ Halloween season by offering 10 TICKETS to Elitch Gardens’ Fright Fest to the person who is the closest to guessing his pumpkin’s weight. Because I am a nice wife and want to help promote his obsession.
But mostly I just want to get him off my back.
The only thing scarier than the amount of time he has spent nurturing his orange monstrosity is when Elitch Gardens transforms from theme park to “scream” park in October. From haunted houses to a free Trick-or-Treat Trail (with the price of admission), there’s something for the whole family to enjoy. Fright Fest 2010 runs Fridays 5-10 p.m., Saturdays 12-10 p.m. and Sundays 12-9 p.m. weekends in September 25 through October 31. An adult ticket is $40.99; Child ticket (48” and under): $27.99.
Great discount: Bring in a new or gently-used children’s costume during Fright Fest from Sept. 25 through Oct. 24 and receive a special discounted admission of $24.99, which is $16 off the main gate price. All costumes will be donated to the Denver Children’s Home.
Some Fright Fest highlights:
Wheel of Misfortune
Spin the wheel and get ready to chow down on creepy critters of the wheel’s choosing. Winners who finish the fiends will be granted an instant place at the front of the line for the haunted house of their choosing.
Bloodlust Monster-less Matinee
The little ones can enjoy our Bloodlust haunted house with the lights on! With no monsters and no darkness, the tour is led by haunted house specialists who can explain all of the tricks used to scare those who enter. Caution: While actors will not be present, some scenes may be graphic.
Ghost, Ghoul and Zombie Blasters
During Fright Fest, boo-blasting won’t stop the ghastly ghouls that inhabit Ghost Blasters. Be prepared to face off with frightening fiends in this haunted attraction.
Trick-or-Treat Trail
Take a trip down the Trick-or-Treat trail! Bring the kids to enjoy this decorated, fun path around the Scaretoon Studios with stops along the way to collect some tasty Halloween treats. It’s a great way for kids to get in on the Halloween fun at Elitch Gardens!
Scream It Out Challenge!
Always thought you had the loudest kid on the block? Now you can know for sure! Enter you child in the Scream It Out challenge and see if their squeal shatters the decibel reader!
Be sure to also check out The Awakening (when zombies come to life), Reunion of Souls “Rock the Dead”, DJ Goul and the Gang doing the Monster Mash, and Trick, Treat and Dance-A-Long starring Bob the Builder. At dusk, the midway becomes infested with living scarecrows, moss monsters, psychos with chainsaws and more.
Contest
Mile High Mamas is giving away 10 PASSES to Elitch Gardens’ Fright Fest to the person who is the closest to guessing The Great Pumpkin’s weight. Please go here to enter (you may enter as many as five times). The contest deadline is September 24 at midnight. In the event there is a tie, the winner will be randomly selected among the finalists.
Author: Amber Johnson
Amber is the founder and editor of Mile High Mamas, travel writer and former columnist for The Denver Post. She is a passionate community builder and loves the outdoors. She has two awesome teens and is happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin.
