Jack-O’-Lanterns find new life at the pumpkin parade in Outremont
Posted November 1, 2024 10:22 pm.
Last Updated November 1, 2024 10:52 pm.
What happens to pumpkins after Halloween? Here in Outremont, they got a second life with a pumpkin parade on Friday!
For the past 12 years, Outremont en famille has transformed Pratt Park into a candlelit graveyard for Jack-O’-Lanterns on November 1st.
“It’s a creative event. People put a lot of time. It’s amazing to see how people take time to decorate, to carve these pumpkins. There are some that are real piece of art. It’s amazing to see these pumpkins and to see the participation of the people,” said Claire-Isabelle Mauffette, president for Outremont en Famille.
It’s the perfect spot for families to admire amazing creations by neighbours, and even win prizes for the best-decorated pumpkins.
Montrealer Julie and her daughter Louise spent an hour carving their pumpkins. They put in a lot of preparation beforehand. They entered the contest for the most beautiful Jack-O-Lantern in the category for kids aged 6 to 12.
“We spent the morning together. She made her little model and drew her vision. Then we went for a walk to collect leaves and everything we wanted to put on the pumpkin. It was a wonderful moment to spend as a family,” said Julie.
Simon is another contestant in the 6 to 12 category who drew his inspiration from a family trip.
“I love looking at the sky. Actually, it was almost three years ago when we went camping, and I remembered that experience. We saw the entire Milky Way. I wasn’t sure what to do with my pumpkin, but then I thought of that, and it turned into a great idea.”
His father added: “My parents arrived this week from Colombia, and we wanted to do a family activity. Everyone shared their ideas, and my dad really wanted to get involved. He was so engaged that we ended up having to buy a third pumpkin for him. He found it really fun to do the activity with us, and it was a great family experience.”
“This made them think about their childhood. We had people that thanks us and saying you know when I was a child we had activities, community activities like this and nowadays this has disappeared. I had people with tears, adults with tears coming to us and saying that they were grateful for us to do this type of activity. That was very touching. That’s why we’re doing this actually,” said Mauffette.
As the evening wraps up, city trucks roll in to take the pumpkins away for composting, allowing them to return to the earth once more.
