The Great Pumpkin Smash is returning to the Esplanade on Oct. 29 from 1-3:30 p.m.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Get ready for a day of fun and gourd times during the Esplanade’s Great Pumpkin Smash taking place Oct. 29 from 1-3:30 p.m.
Returning for its second year, the free family event is a celebration of fall in all its forms as attendees can enjoy autumn-themed treats and activities, before dropping a pumpkin off the Esplanade’s terrace and watching it plummet to the ground below.
“Last year was our first year for the Great Pumpkin Smash and it went really well, which we were really happy with,” Esplanade cultural public programmer Candace Lundrigan told the News. “So we’re going to try and make it an annual event.
“It’s kind of a novelty and it’s fun to do for all ages. And then, of course, a whole lot of other things happen throughout the afternoon – other activities and things … We’ll have free snacks and free entertainment. We have Six One Six Entertainment axe throwing coming. We have the band Full Circle that’s going to be on the lawn. And then we’ve got Gypsy Girl Pizza truck coming. And we’re gonna have a little lounge on the terrace (with) heat lamps. There’s going to be some hot chocolate, pumpkin spice lattes and cookies available there, so you can warm up there and watch it from above.”
Activities will also be set up in the building’s lobby, including arts and crafts and face painting.
While the Esplanade will have a small supply of pumpkins available first come, first served, Lundrigan invites community members to bring their own pumpkin to avoid missing out if supplies run low.
Lundrigan asks the pumpkins not be decorated with paint, glitter, stickers, etc., as remnants of the smashed pumpkins are being donated to the local 4H Beef Club for livestock food.
“Because we are, essentially, destroying pumpkins, we want to be mindful of where it goes and that it’s not going in the trash,” said Lundrigan. “So, it’s being used for livestock. Last year, it went to the goats. This year, going to the pigs.
“So, it is a fun Halloween event, but it’s about reducing waste as well.”
