Vlade Sherrill, Friend of the late 17 Year Old Paris Pierpont, Stands in Front of Record Setting Pumpkin Grown by her Father Edwin Pierpont, This Afternoon.  Sherrill Organized the Flower Memorial That Began This Morning around 11:00 am on a Side Street in Damariscotta. Sherrill is attending SMCC to Become a Paramedic

The Award Winning Pumpkin Growy by Edwin Pierpot, Father of the Deceased Paris, 17 Years Old.

Will Farrell, a Good Friend of the Deceased Paris Pierpont, Arrived at the Floral Memorial at Pumpkinfest,  With Flowers from His Family’s Garden This Afternoon.

Paris Pierpoint, 17, of Jefferson, was an Excellent Basketball Player. (Photo Courtesy Vlade Sherrill)

News of the death of 17 year old Paris R. Pierpont last night traveled fast on the streets of  Damariscotta that were packed for the last day of the annual Pumpkinfest celebration today.

Pierpont was driving a car when it veered off the River Road in Nobleboro sometime after 10:00 pm according to a friend of hers Vlade Sherrill.  Sherrill, 20,  who used to attend Lincoln Academy with Paris was listening to his scanner when he heard the call come in to the Lincoln County Dispatcher around 10:30 pm last night. The calling individual reported smelling smoke and hearing a loud noise on the River Road Vlade said this afternoon in Damariscotta.

Sherrill described Paris as “full of energy” and an excellent basketball player.  She had attended Lincoln Academy, but this year she transferred to Medomak High School for her senior year.  That high school has a special vocational program for students intending to enter the medical field – that was Paris’ intent.

Will Farrell, who learned of her death this morning, arrived at the floral memorial to her in front of her father’s prize winning pumpkin on Theater Street.

He said:  “We were good friends.  She had a lot of energy.” Will picked a bouquet of flowers from his family’s garden that he placed at the memorial that was begun by Vlade late this morning.  That’s when Vlade purchased three bouquets from a local florist and placed them at the memorial for his friend.

Meanwhile, anyone traveling on the River Road was turned back because of an “Emergency Closure” where the accident occurred according to Mary G. who experienced the road closure this afternoon.

Jed Weiss, an owner of the popular King Eider Pub and a co-administrator of Punpkinfest said that the memorial to Paris would remain in that same spot for another day or two.  The Pumpkinfest ended today at 3:30 and pumpkins were to have been removed at that time.

Edwin Pierpont, grower of the record setting pumpkin and father of the deceased Paris,  had wanted the pumpkin to be returned to the Spears Farm Stand, Waldoboro, where it was grown according to Weiss.  That will be delayed now, but Weiss was uncertain for how long. Damariscotta government was shut down today so not much could be done anyway Weiss said.

The October 7, 2021 issue of THE LINCOLN COUNTY NEWS, reports that the festival’s weigh-off occurred on Sunday, October 3,  The Pierpont pumpkin weighed in at 2,121.5 pounds.  The weigh-in  was held at Pinkham’s Plantation, on Biscay Road, Damariscotta.  The event drew an audience of 60 people.

Pumpkinfest has been in existence for around 15 years said Vlade Sherrill’s father.  Over the years it has evolved.  It began as a pumpkin show. A pumpkin Regatta was added in recent years. The pumpkin drop was added more recently. Many of the activities associated with the event were canceled this year because of the pandemic.