The Gourd Festival

Work in progress, inspired by Summercamp 2020 & my lovely children
Because there is not enough celebrations for cucumbers. Especially Pickles.

Yearly Gourd Festival is the greatest event of the year for the good people of Pumpkindale, as they and travelers far and wide come to celebrate the harvest. The festival is filled with foods most delicious - and on the center, are the pumpkins, cucumbers, and squash which the town is most famous for!

History

Very first Gourd festival was celebrated in 3923, after particularly plentiful harvest. For a good decade the practice was mostly simply a local event, but as Pumpkindale grew and word got a around, and the festival started to get more traction.

In 3986, tradition was halted for a year due to a raging flood in the area. Local clergy of Tyr saw this as an opportunity to speak against the practice to end it for good and denounced the celebrations as an event that encourages indecency. The locals responded by sending the high priest a largest cucumber of the harvest with a note telling them to "shove it where the sun doesn't shine". As the story spread the common amusement of the incident made the clergy so embarrassed that the case was dropped entirely, with high priest claiming that the people of Pumpkindale where already so doomed that there was not any way to save their souls anyway.

Execution

The traditional Gourd festival starts in end of harvest. It is celebrated with dance and song, including several games and challenges. The Pumpkin Pie eating competition, Toss the scallop, Pick a Pickle and Squish the squash are some of the all time favorite games of the event. Cucumber tournament bids men against one another to a play duel, where only allowed weapon is, as name suggests, a cucumber.

Feast is important part of the celebrations. Several dishes are served to guest's enjoyment. Before mentioned pumpkin pies are well love, with pumpkin cookies, marmalade, pumpkin bread, pumpkin coffee, jam and other goodies. Cucumber salads, Stuffed Acorn squash and Squash Casserole are just some of the beloved treats, and of course, the local delicacy; A Sandwich With A Pretty Big Pickle In It.

As the night falls, the streets are light up with lanterns carved out of pumpkins and squash.

Primary Related Location

Pumpkindale

Related Ethnicities

• Vilen

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Credit where credit is due!

Concept of "A Sandwich With A Pretty Big Pickle In It" goes to always as absurd and hilarious Ryan George. Skits like The First Guy To Ever Make A Commercial and Obligatory "In These Uncertain Times" Commercial help me find my sanity and inner peace.

I also thank my kids. This article exists mostly because how much my son loves pickles and how funny my daughter finds it.