Pilots will drop pumpkins on a target near North Pole on Saturday

Pumpkins will fall from airplanes over Bradley Sky Ranch near North Pole on Saturday, Sept. 26, and the pilots dropping them are trying to hit something.

At the Great Interior Pumpkin Drop & Fly-In, each pilot brings three pumpkins and releases them from 200 feet above the ground, aiming for a target circle 100 feet across. The drop closest to the center wins, and prizes go to the top three. A pumpkin let go from a moving plane keeps traveling forward as it falls, so pilots have to release it before they're over the target.

"It is a lot harder to judge when to drop than it looks," the organizers' listing warns.

Gates open at noon for music, food and pilot registration. Pilots sit through a mandatory safety briefing before anyone flies, and the earliest the dropping can start is 2 pm. The grounds stay open until 7 pm, with local Fairbanks musicians, food trucks and games for families. The organizers also mention hats, with three exclamation points and no further explanation.

Admission is free. Organizers, who include the Midnight Sun 99s and Super Sonic Aviation, ask visitors to tip the vendors and donate to the local groups volunteering their Saturday.

Bradley Sky Ranch is off the Old Richardson Highway, at the airstrip near the railroad crossing before North Pole. Bring a chair, dress for chilly weather and carpool if you can. Leave pets at home; they aren't allowed. Pilots flying in can camp at the airfield from Friday through Monday.