The pumpkin is dropped.

SEASIDE — Seventy-three feet, 4 inches. For those who turned out to the “Big Pumpkin Drop” on Sunday in Seaside, that’s how far a more than 900-pound pumpkin will shatter from 40 feet.

This year’s drop attracted a crowd to the public parking lot by the Seaside Civic and Convention Center, eager to see how much damage a pumpkin dropped from a great height can make.

Motivated by Boomer Barbosa of 94.9 The Bridge and Celeste Kenneally of the Seaside Downtown Development Association, “The Big Pumpkin Drop” returned for the first time since 2009.

The drop was part of a weekend of events presented by local businesses and the downtown association. “The weather was perfect,” Kenneally said. “Everyone seemed really happy, the activities went really well and Trunk or Treat was a huge success for the first year. Everything’s been running really smoothly.”

This was Barbosa’s second pumpkin drop, having presided over one in Orangevale, California.

“We’re doing the big pumpkin drop for charity and for the violence of it,” Barbosa said. “I have been involved with pumpkin drops before, but they have been gutted pumpkins.”

The difference then, he said, was the pumpkin was hollowed out. “This pumpkin is full of all of its goo and all of its seeds. It will be a lot messier for sure. I’m not sure how that will play out.”

Hundreds of onlookers stood by as the pumpkin was slowly raised in the air and the countdown began. Ten … nine … eight … seven … six … five … four … three … two … one. Splat.

Half of the pot went to the Warrenton High School cheerleaders club, the first time they’ve had a cheerleaders club. The other half went to the winners, Emily and Ricky Fish, of Seaside. The family was only 4 inches off the mark, guessing a distance of 73 feet for the piece of pumpkin that landed the farthest from the center.