As the smells of cotton candy and kettle corn glided down Main Street in Knights Ferry, anxious fans awaited the first pumpkin of the season to be rolled from the starting line along Main Street.

More than 100 contestants – from big kids to little kids – tried their luck as they fought to earn those coveted Knights Ferry Pumpkin Roll trophies. The event was staged, as always, on the first Sunday after Halloween. That put the roll this year on Sunday, Nov. 2.

Some contestants gently rolled their orange orbs down the street while others had pumpkins that just kept rolling, rolling, rolling down the street – off the chalked course – and towards the Stanislaus River. Jett Chandley, champion roller for the boys 6-to-12 age group, greeted his friends by sharing how far his pumpkin had rolled as it got closest to the finish line.

While most folks stayed outside to take in the competition, many also took time to wander into the Knights Ferry Community Club to savor some sweet treats and pick up some early holiday gifts from local crafters. There were also some food and beverages for sale, as many choose to make it a full day visit to the Ferry for the annual tradition.

Tracy Griesner-Rippe, known as the ‘Grand Pumpkin Poobah’ for her organizational efforts, shared how this event comes together every year because of all the teamwork and local folks that volunteer their time.

“I just want to say thank you to everyone that helped to make this event such a success. We couldn’t do it without you,” said Griesner-Rippe.

Here is the complete list of winners in their respective age categories: Girls (Ages 0-5) Marley Pfefferle, Boys (Ages 0-5) Cade Toban, Girls (Ages 6-12) Millie Serrano, Boys (Ages 6-12) Jett Chandley, Girls (Ages 13-18) Lauren Porter, Boys (Ages 13-18) Troy Peterson, Women Sydney Hawkins, Men Daniel Avila (his second win in a row), Senior Women Susan Santucci, Senior Men Jeff Muller.