DOVER, Del. (Sept. 11, 2008) � The Delaware Tourism Office is pleased to announce that the American Bus Association has designated the World Championship Punkin Chunkin as one of the �Top 100 Events in North America� for 2008. The Punkin Chunkin, held on the first weekend in November, attracts thousands of spectators to rural Sussex County every year to witness competing teams sling, launch or fire pumpkins from massive engineered contraptions.
The 23rd annual Punkin Chunkin will kick off in Bridgeville, Del. on Friday, Oct. 31 with a return appearance by the Charlie Daniels Band at 7 p.m., followed by former Alabama frontman Randy Owen at 8 p.m. Throughout the weekend, there is carnival area with amusement rides, food vendors and cooking contests featuring homespun pumpkin recipes.
�The World Championship Punkin Chunkin has earned a national reputation for its tailgating, bands and mechanized pumpkin-tossing contests, but the entertainment value is only part of why the event was selected by the American Bus Association this year� said Linda Parkowski, director of Tourism for the Delaware Economic Development Office. �Punkin Chunkin has been recognized as a magnet for tourism dollars, at a time when reenergizing domestic tourism is so important to our spirit and our economy. The honor gives the World Championship Punkin Chunkin an important boost in visibility among professional tour planners.�
The Top 100 list will be published as a supplement to the September/ October issue of Destinations magazine. ABA�s 2008 Top 100 Events Selection Committee selected the World Championship Punkin Chunkin from among hundreds of U.S. and Canadian events nominated by state and provincial tourism offices and convention and visitors bureaus. Judges considered the event�s broad appeal, its accessibility to motorcoaches and skill at handling large groups and a variety of other relevant criteria. The Top 100 Events list is available online at @link href=’http://www.buses.org’target=”_blank”www.buses.org/link.
About Delaware Tourism Office The Delaware Tourism Office, a division of the Delaware Economic Development Office, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware. The Office is dedicated to fulfilling the requests and needs of travelers by offering information and resources about Delaware activities, attractions and destinations. For more information, visit the official Delaware Tourism Web site at @link href=’http://www.VisitDelaware.com’target=”_blank”>www.VisitDelaware.com/link or call toll-free 866-284-7483.
