It was in a pumpkin boat on the Damariscotta River that Buzz Pinkham finally understood the appeal of Mark Twain.

Pinkham, owner of Pinkham's Plantation and “co-instigator” of Damariscotta's Pumpkinfest, said he didn't enjoy reading about the exploits of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn when he was in grade school, but as he bobbed in an oversized pumpkin on the Damariscotta, it all came together.

“There I was, in my 'raft,'” he said. “It made sense to me then.”

With Pumpkinfest three months away, the time for pumpkins to sprout and bloom has arrived. Wet weather has recently invaded the area, lashing the soil with rain.

But, not to worry, Pinkham said, the pumpkins should be ready to carve, paint, chuck, drop and sail in time for the October 5 to 14 Pumpkinfest.

Growing behemoths takes several things: good soil, good weather and good luck.

Pinkham said the weather so far hasn't cooperated, but with a few warm, sunny weeks, the pumpkins will do just fine.

Pinkham's Plantation gives out pumpkins near the end of May to be grown by members of the community, before heading back for the weigh-off.

Pinkham relates the outgoing pumpkins to baby sea turtles; a lot go out into the world, and only a few make the return trip.

Of the 600 pumpkins Pinkham gives out, only approximately 100 will grow into behemoth pumpkins and return in time for the October 5 and 6 weigh-off.

“We gave out 400 in late May,” he said. “Since then, we've given out another 200, because accidents happen. Pumpkins aren't calamity-proof.”

Along with Bill Clark, whom Pinkham calls his co-instigator, the pair have grown the festival from 12 art pumpkins in downtown the first year to more than 70 that decorate Damariscotta.

What started off as a way of getting the community together to celebrate the ridiculous turned into a week-long event with camera crews and a Pennsylvania-based “punkin chunkin” machine, Pinkham said.

Pinkham believes there are a variety of reasons the festival has taken off.

“It's a good family project,” he said. “It gets the kids, dad and mom, in some cases grandparents out working on a pumpkin project.”

What happens after the pumpkins reach gargantuan size is where imagination comes into play, Pinkham said.

“There was a little boy, eight or nine years old, and the pumpkin was his summer project,” Pinkham said. “When he brought it in to the weigh-off, they asked him what he wanted to do with it, and he said 'I want to drop it on a car.'”

So, a crane was brought in several years and pumpkin drops have been a staple since, Pinkham said.

“Other people's imaginations bring them to turn a pumpkin into a boat, or carve it or paint it,” he said. “Some people just want to a grow a bigger pumpkin than their (neighbor's).”

That friendly competition, and how large the festival has grown, showcase not only a strong sense of community, Pinkham said, but reflect on the plant itself.

“When you think about pumpkins, they have vines that stretch out through the garden,” he said. “This festival is like that: it's just taken off and spread.”

While the festival has been a boon to businesses, Pinkham said there are still those who don't quite get the appeal of carving out a pumpkin, attaching a motor to it and plopping it in the water.

The point is: there is no point other than enjoying the spectacle and absurdity, Pinkham said.

“I would say 99.4 out of 100 people enjoy it, but there's always someone who thinks it's foolish nonsense,” he said. “I think those people need Pumpkinfest more than anyone.

“That's what it's about: we spend too much time trying to make sense of things. We just want to celebrate the ridiculous.”

Ben Bulkeley can be reached at 207-633-4620 or bbulkeley@boothbayregister.com. Follow him on Twitter: @BBRegisterBen.