Pumpkin Chuckin' Returns to Washington State College
The fourth annual event featured a student-built trebuchet that launches pumpkins with counterweights.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Food and Drink
Washington State College of Ohio held its fourth annual Pumpkin Chuckin' 2026 event, featuring pumpkin launching, crafts, inflatables, live music, three food trucks and a petting zoo. Visitors could bring pumpkins from home and try to hit targets with them.
Why it matters
The event began as a way to help students see science in action and to spark interest in math and science. The launching equipment was designed and built by students with Ben Harris.
The original trebuchet used about 1,000 pounds of counterweight, while the current floating-arm machine uses about 360 pounds. The event is in its fourth year and featured three food trucks.
The players
Washington State College of Ohio
A college in Marietta, Ohio, that hosts the annual Pumpkin Chuckin' event and worked with students on the trebuchet build.
Ben Harris
The individual who worked with students to design and build the launching equipment used at the event.
The details
The current trebuchet uses falling weights and wheels moving along rails to launch a pumpkin. Students built the metal frame after organizers upgraded from a wooden structure two years ago, using computer-aided design to plan the machine.
Timeline
Two years ago: organizers upgraded the trebuchet from wood to metal.
Last year: the festivities included a wide variety of pumpkins.
2026: Pumpkin Chuckin' 2026 was held at Washington State College of Ohio.
Season Trajectory
Pumpkin launching events draw on the centuries-old trebuchet design, which relied on counterweights to hurl projectiles across distances. This student-built version reduces the counterweight from about 1,000 pounds to about 360 pounds while keeping the same basic mechanism.
Residents in the Marietta area can attend future Pumpkin Chuckin' events to bring pumpkins from home and try the targets themselves. The event offers a family outing with food trucks, live music and a petting zoo.
The takeaway
Hands-on engineering projects like this trebuchet show how students can apply physics principles such as counterweights and leverage in a real build. Families interested in similar science outings can look for community events that combine demonstrations with food and music.
Further reading
Explore more food and drink coverage for local events like this one in Marietta.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Newsandsentinel.
