The Greenbelt Pumpkin Festival

10/28/2024

We had an outstanding Pumpkin Festival this year and we couldn’t have done it without the support of the entire Greenbelt Community. Thank you to everyone who carved a pumpkin or came to a pumpkin walk, thank you to every single volunteer who showed up to move pumpkins at all hours of the day, helped us clean up, or took photos and posted them on Facebook. Thank you to everyone who donated generously so that we could afford to purchase pumpkins and supplies! We exceeded our goal and have a healthy balance to roll over into next year’s Pumpkin Festival!

There are also some people and businesses we want to call out specifically for making the Pumpkin Festival happen!
• Greenbelt Rotary Club for being our fiscal sponsor, handling all financial matters, and for providing a lot of volunteers to keep things moving!
• Teddy Lawrence and Dan Gillotte at Greenbelt Co-op for negotiating a great price on our pumpkins and making sure they arrived just in time for each event.
• Carolyn Crowley for allowing us to use the Lady Law truck to move pumpkins around the city.
• Greenbelt Recreation & Parks for helping us with planning and permitting, and including us in Fall Fest.
• Greenbelt Public Works for setting up the stage, tables and trash cans as well as the safety path on Northway leading to the pumpkin walk, and for cleaning up the bits that we can’t. We try to leave everything as neat as we found it, but pumpkin carving is messy and there’s always some debris left behind.
• The entire Greenbelt City Council for your ongoing support and encouragement.
• CHEARS for providing buckets to gather pumpkin guts
• Compost Crew for composting our leftovers and Amy Knesel for transporting all the pumpkin guts from three events!
• The Forest Preserve Advisory Board for allowing us to hold the pumpkin walk in the Northwoods and helping us take good care of this resource.
• Rodney Roberts for providing hot chocolate and cider at the Northwoods and for his long history of supporting the pumpkin walk.
• All the fairies and creatures who showed up in the Northwoods for the pumpkin walk.
• Franklin Park Resident Services for including us in Trunk or Treat, providing tables and trash cans.
• Venture Crew 746 for providing lots of enthusiastic volunteers at every single event we hosted!
• Greenbelt Honk Situation and the Witches of the Green Shire for providing entertainment at our Roosevelt Center carving.
• Every single volunteer, whether you showed up for one shift or every single event, we appreciate all that you do. This event only happens because so many people pitch in and make it happen.
THANK YOU GREENBELT!

10/25/2024

Things are hopping at the Trunk or Treat pumpkin carving!

10/25/2024

We are almost ready for pumpkin carving at Trunk or Treat, behind Beltway Plaza Mall starting at 5:00 pm!

10/23/2024

Thank you to everyone who participated in our events at Greenbelt East and Greenbelt Central. We have one more carving event scheduled in Greenbelt West. Friday, October 25th starting at 5:00 pm behind Beltway Plaza. We still need volunteers to make this event as successful as our first two!
2:00 pm - pick up pumpkins from Greenbelt Co-op and load them into the Lady Law truck (and big thanks to her for supporting the Pumpkin Festival!)
4:00 pm - unload pumpkins at Beltway Plaza Mall (parking lot behind AMC) and/or help set up for the carving
5:00 - 7:00 pm - assist with distributing and carving pumpkins
7:00 - 8:00 pm - clean up.

Sign up form is below. If this link doesn't work, I'll add another in the comments.

10/20/2024

We are still pulling pumpkins out of the forest this morning and lining them up in TWO LOCATIONS. Pumpkins are being assembled on Northway, near the pumpkin walk entrance and by the baseball field, near the pumpkin walk exit. We’ve got lots of volunteers working hard but we can always use more!

10/20/2024

Sunday morning at 9:00 am we need volunteers to help us bring all the pumpkins out of the woods. We ended up with a lot more pumpkins than usual this year, so we could use some extra hands to carry them gently to Northway Road for retrieval. BONUS: If you come early and help, you are more likely to find the pumpkin you carved. Despite our best efforts, one or two pumpkins go wandering every year, so come grab yours!

Pumpkins not picked up by 4:00 pm will be composted by our friends at Compost Crew.

10/20/2024

Greenbelters are AMAZING! We counted 2,335 visitors to the Pumpkin Walk tonight and collected $904.05 in cash donations, plus additional donations made through our GoFundMe campaign, bringing our total raised to $3,056! This will cover all of our expenses for this year, and leave a healthy nest egg for next year's Pumpkin Festival. THANK YOU for making this event happen!

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10/19/2024

It’s almost time!! The volunteer candle lighters have begun working their way through the hundreds of pumpkins decorating the forest so that the glowing faces will be ready for you at 6:00 pm! 🎃

10/19/2024

Hardworking volunteers have carried 320+ pumpkins into the North Woods in preparation for tonight’s pumpkin walk! See you there tonight!

10/19/2024

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Pumpkin Walk in Greenbelt Central

Q. What time is the Pumpkin Walk?
A. The Pumpkin Walk will take place from 6:00 to 9:00 pm on Saturday.

Q. How do I find the Pumpkin Walk?
A. At the intersection of Ridge and Northway you will find a path marked with orange traffic drums and yellow tape. This path will lead you to the entrance into the Pumpkin Walk, where our volunteers will be waiting to greet you. There will likely be a crowd of people moving in the same direction.

Q. How physically challenging is the Pumpkin Walk?
A. The path through the woods is less than half a mile and the crowd usually moves very slowly, admiring each pumpkin. There is no climbing or scrambling. HOWEVER, it is an unpaved path through the woods, with exposed roots, the occasional hanging branch, and somewhat uneven terrain. It is not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs and may be difficult to navigate for those with significant mobility impairment.

Q. When can I get my pumpkin?
A. On Sunday morning, we will bring the pumpkins out of the woods and you can pick up your pumpkin on Northway until late afternoon. Pumpkins not picked up will be composted by our friends at Compost Crew.

Q. Can I bring my dog or other pet?
A. We ask participants to leave their pets at home.

Q. Should I bring a flashlight?
A. You may find it helpful on the walk TO the woods, but we ask participants to leave their flashlights OFF while in the wooded part of the path. The glow of the pumpkins works best in the dark and is harder to appreciate when someone has accidentally(but inevitably!) shined a bright light into your eyes.

Q. Is the Pumpkin Walk scary?
A. The Pumpkin Walk is mostly magical and fun, but the path is dark. During the hour between 6:00 and 7:00 the forest will be a gentle place suitable for the smallest children. After 7:00 it may be a little creepier, but no “jump scares” just creepy things like Goat Man and his friends. Goat man not guaranteed, but you never know what you’ll run into in the forest after 7:00!

10/19/2024

One of our attendees lost a hat at tonight’s carving event. With her permission, I am posting a copy of the post she made in another group.

10/18/2024

We have had an AMAZING turnout tonight. We only have about 20 pumpkins left, but there is still lots of fun to be had. The Greenbelt Honk Situation is playing and all your friends and neighbors are here!

10/18/2024

Did you leave your water bottle at the Pumpkin Festival?

10/18/2024

The pumpkin carving is beginning! Come join us in Roosevelt Center!

10/18/2024

Wow! We've raised $1083, well on the way to our goal of $1700. Thank you, Greenbelt! 300 pumpkins have arrived in preparation for the Pumpkin Carving that begins at 4:00 pm on Friday October 18th (tonight!). We will be joined by the Greenbelt Honk Situation between 6:00 and 8:00 pm, as well as the Witches of the Green Shire. Come on out and join the fun!

The Pumpkin Walk began in 1987 as a way to get Greenbelters out into the Nort… Pumpkin Festival needs your support for Support Greenbelt Pumpkin Festival 2024

10/18/2024

The pumpkins have arrived! Thank you to our amazing volunteers who moved 300 pumpkins from the New Deal parking lot into Roosevelt Center!

And thank you to the co-op staff for being really understanding about the fact that all their produce was unloaded with our pumpkins, making a lot more work for them this morning. Sorry and thank you for all your support!

10/18/2024

Early morning pumpkin movers are prepping the Roosevelt Center for you!

See you at 4pm 🎃

10/15/2024

Thanks to your generous contributions, we have raised over $850, reaching 50% of our total fundraising goal for this year! Your donations make it possible for us to hold this beloved event, providing free pumpkins, carving tools and candles. We couldn't do it without you!

The Pumpkin Walk began in 1987 as a way to get Greenbelters out into the Nort… Pumpkin Festival needs your support for Support Greenbelt Pumpkin Festival 2024