Spiderman, a cat and plenty of other face-painted children carved spooky smiles into their pumpkins at the Springhill Lake Pumpkin Carving on Friday, October 27. It was the final of the year’s three carving events, which are part of the beloved Greenbelt Pumpkin Festival. They occurred at different locations in the city – Schrom Hills Park, Springhill Lake Recreation Center and Roosevelt Center.
It’s an event that has expanded over recent years. Event organizer Stacy Stewart said that from 1988 to 2018 there was only one pumpkin carving and one pumpkin walk, both in Greenbelt Center. To make the event more accessible, in 2018 it was transformed into a festival with events all week leading up to Halloween in multiple locations. This year there were three carving events and two walks (though one had to be cancelled due to winds). The new format ensures that all Greenbelt residents live within walking distance from at least one of the carvings. “Every section [of the festival] is a little bit different, centered around carving, but with the personality of wherever you are,” said Carolyn Lambright-Davis, the CHEARS site-captain for Friday’s carving.
At the Springhill Lake carving, the pumpkin seeds and guts went straight into the composting garden, just a few feet away from where they were scooped out, to make for an environmentally responsible event. Kids played lawn games and freeze tag, and balls were tossed around amidst a radiant festive environment. Everyone’s hard work was rewarded with pizza, candy and refreshments. Festival organizers and volunteers successfully brought the community together and fully infused it with Halloween spirit.
Stewart says the Pumpkin Festival organizers want to make the city feel a little smaller. “We would love for people to come, get outside your own immediate community and be a part of your whole community,” she told the News Review. She hopes having more events encourages people to come out and be active members in the community.
Stewart and Lambright-Davis said that the community makes their jobs easy and fun. The dedication and effort that the volunteers put into the festival make it run smoothly.
“I think we’ve all coined the phrase ‘One Greenbelt.’” said Lambright-Davis.
Cavit Ireland is a student at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism writing for the News Review.