Pumpkins rained from the sky over Hurricane Meadows Farm in Falmouth on Saturday, as crowds of people watched on in amazement. 

“That was a surprise,” local resident Kasia Geiger said. “We didn’t know that would happen. It was super sweet.” 

This weekend’s Pumpkin Destruction Day marked the end of the Hurricane Meadows Fall Festival, which began on Sept. 12 and concluded on Nov. 1. 

The festival started as a way to bring people to the farm, and to incorporate fun and agricultural education, Hurricane Meadows owner Evan Putnam said.

Throughout the season, the farm offers pick-your-own pumpkins, and at the end of October, any unwanted pumpkins are donated to local schools, food banks and other organizations. 

Whatever is left over gets used on Pumpkin Destruction Day.

On Saturday, festival-goers took sledgehammers to pumpkins, launched farm-grown potatoes at donated cars, explored a corn maze and, of course, watched pumpkins fall from a helicopter. 

“We had a lot of fun with the pumpkin dropping,” Hurricane Meadows owner Evan Putnam said. “We weren’t sure it was going to happen.” 

Saturday’s strong winds, a side-effect of Hurricane Melissa, halted the pumpkin dropping early, but attendees still got to see the helicopter in action.

“People love to see the helicopter,” Putnam said. “A lot of them are shocked to see it, but it’s been well received.” 

Among those shocked to see pumpkins falling from the sky were Kasia Geiger and Sonya Meyer, residents at Maine Medical Center who were enjoying a day of fun with a group of friends. 

Originally, the festival drew Geiger in because of the opportunity to shoot potatoes at cars, but Meyer was more impressed by the pumpkin smashing events.

“It’s a new fall activity to enjoy, and this is a beautiful time of year to come out,” Meyer said. 

Chelsea Byun, a South Portland resident, also attended Pumpkin Destruction Day with friends. 

“What’s not to love about smashing pumpkins?” Byun said. “It was fun. It feels like a great thing to do to mark the end of this part of the season.” 

Celebrating the “end” of fall is exactly what Putnam had in mind when he created Pumpkin Destruction Day three years ago. 

“It’s a way to enjoy the last moments of fall,” Putnam said. “It’s a lot of fun.”