Ferndale's Farmer's Market closes out its season this weekend with the third annual Harvest Festival, featuring regular vendors and special activities that revolve around that iconic fall fruit - the pumpkin.

Events are planned from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at Centennial Riverwalk Park near Front and Main streets in Ferndale. Admission is free. Many of the events offer prizes or ribbons for the winners.

Among the activities will be a competition for the largest pumpkin; a baking contest for breads, pies and desserts made with the ubiquitous squash; a jack-o-lantern carving contest; pumpkin bowling; and a pumpkin catapult, said Cory Bartel, events and program coordinator for the market.

"It's not a massive catapult, but it should be fun to watch," Bartel said.

Anyone can bring a pumpkin weighing less than 10 pounds to fling into the air, she said. The catapulting is slated to start at 3 p.m.

As an added attraction, people can trace outlines of one another and decorate them as scarecrows that will be placed in the line of the catapult's fire, giving the shooter a target to aim for.

"We'll see how that goes," Bartel chuckled.

A commercial scale will be on hand for the biggest pumpkin, Bartel said. Last year's winner was Ferndale eighth-grader Elizabeth Hand, whose gourd weighed 80 pounds, down considerably from a 200-pounder the year before.

For pumpkin bowling, organizers are looking for perfect specimens that participants can roll toward 10 "pins" made from elongated gourds. One end will be trimmed so the gourds will stand up in 10-pin fashion, Bartel said.

"We did a test run and found if we got a little-enough pumpkin, it would roll straight," she said.

The baking contest was expanded to include treats other than pie.

"Last year was just pies, so this year we opened it up," Bartel said. "They had a pretty good turnout."

FERNDALE HARVEST FESTIVAL

When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15.

Where: Centennial Riverwalk Park.

Cost: Free.

More information: 360-384-3042.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

10 a.m.: Largest pumpkin contest; carved pumpkin contest; pumpkin "face" decorated with vegetables; guess how many in a jar contest.

11 a.m.: Scarecrow design; family photo area with fall theme (bring own camera).

Noon: Chalk art along the riverwalk.

Noon-4 p.m.: Pumpkin bowling.

1 p.m.: Pie, breads, and dessert contest.

2 p.m.: Water balloon toss.

3 p.m.: Pumpkin catapult.