Charleston, W.Va. – Pumpkins soared and students cheered at GoMart Ballpark on Thursday, October 16, as BridgeValley Community and Technical College hosted its 26th Annual Pumpkin Drop. Nearly 30 schools from across West Virginia participated, and hundreds attended the popular STEAM competition that challenged students to test their creativity and engineering skills in front of a live audience.

The event challenged teams to design and build contraptions capable of protecting pumpkins dropped from 50 feet in the air, putting classroom concepts into action through hands-on problem-solving.

“The Pumpkin Drop is more than a fun fall tradition,” said Dr. Casey K. Sacks, President at BridgeValley. “It is a hands-on way for students to explore engineering and problem-solving, and we loved seeing their ideas take flight.”

Kristi Sarrett, Dean of Workforce Development and Technical Education, added, “Events like this bring science to life for students and show that learning can be both exciting and practical. It’s inspiring to watch young people connect what they learn in the classroom to real-world challenges.”

Top honors went to New River Intermediate – Team #3, which earned first place overall after its pumpkin survived the drop intact. Other award winners included teams from East Fairmont Middle, Mountaineer Challenge Academy South, Cedar View Christian Academy, and Hannan Junior/Senior High.

BridgeValley extended special thanks to the event’s sponsors — TC Energy, Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia, US Methanol LLC, Stephen New & Associates, AC&S Inc., and ZMM Architects & Engineers — as well as to the City of Charleston, Appalachian Power (AEP), and Frontier Communications for in-kind support. BridgeValley’s Utility Linemen students and instructors assisted with each drop, and Steve Animal of 98.7 The Mountain emceed the event.

Now in its 26th year, the Pumpkin Drop has become a signature STEM outreach event for BridgeValley, sparking curiosity and creativity among students while connecting education to real-world applications.

Photos and videos from the event are available at Pumpkin Drop 2025.