Hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns flickered against the trees, illuminating a path for the Greenbelt community during the annual Pumpkin Walk through the North Woods on Saturday, October 19.
While the Pumpkin Walk has been a tradition since 1988, the event this year garnered unprecedented numbers. According to this year’s Pumpkin Queen, event organizer Stacy Stewart, over 320 pumpkins were carved by the community and placed along the woodland trail.
“This has been a big year; the crowds have been huge,” she said. “This is a tradition Greenbelters love.”
Stewart’s words echoed the enthusiasm felt along the path, as Greenbelters young and old took their time to marvel at each glowing jack-o’-lantern. For many, the walk was more than a stroll through the woods ‒ it was a chance to experience the results of the artistry from the previous day’s pumpkin-carving event at Roosevelt Center.
The pumpkins lining the trail showcased a delightful range of designs: from cheerful grins to spooky scowls, pumpkins carved into the likenesses of cats and dogs, and others featuring witches, ghosts and magical scenes. Some were adorned with stars, swirls or crescent moons, while others took the shape of tiny fairy houses. Each jack-o’-lantern added its own unique charm to the night’s walk, reflecting the community’s boundless creativity.
Jack-o’-lanterns weren’t the only fantastical feature of the evening – woodland creatures also greeted each passerby along the enchanted trail. Whimsical fairies were scattered throughout the forest, but the most anticipated sighting was the legendary Goat Man, who appeared from the shadows to the delight (and sometimes fright) of those who crossed his path.
Once the visitors departed the woods, they were offered hot chocolate or hot cider to enjoy under the glow of the waning supermoon.
Zhenya Chukmasova, a first-time Pumpkin Walker, was “so surprised” at how special the night turned out to be. “It was so beautiful and so fun,” she said. “I’m just at a loss for words.”
Seven-year-old Mabel, dressed as a unicorn, said that she has been coming to the Pumpkin Walk ever since she was a “little tiny baby.”
“I made the pumpkin that was right at the end, the one with the hearts and the little dots,” she said. Her parents, Michael and Rachel Canavan, shared fond memories of returning to the walk year after year. “We’ll never miss a Pumpkin Walk!” proclaimed Rachel.
Jackson Maul, a student at the University of Maryland who grew up in Greenbelt, has been coming to the Pumpkin Walk for the past 15 years. “It was so wonderful,” said Maul about his walk through the woods. “I love getting to see all the art and ideas, all the creativity from the people of Greenbelt.”
Diya Shah is a student at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism writing for the News Review.
