Join us to celebrate “all things pumpkin” during the free, family-friendly Pumpkin Palooza at Central Gardens on Saturday, October 15, beginning at 4pm and culminating with a lighted Pumpkins on Parade stroll through the Gardens from 6pm-7pm.

Children’s activities include supervised pumpkin stencil drawings and pumpkin carving stations, a center for creating pictures from dyed pumpkin seeds, and two story-telling events. Adults can get in on the fun, too, with a pumpkin carving station just for them. Businesses, organizations and individuals may choose to be creative ahead of time and drop off carved pumpkins for display but may also participate at the event. There will be free popcorn and apple cider, fun music, some other games, and a drawing for Chamber bucks. (All who have carved a pumpkin for the Pumpkins on Parade event are eligible.)

Then at 6pm, all community members are invited to stroll through the lighted Gardens pathway to view the carved pumpkins and end up at the Nature Education Pavilion to learn more about making pumpkin treats from Healthy Harvest of North Iowa. Come see the Gardens how you’ve never seen them before—in the beauty of twilight with new lighting features and fun pumpkins to celebrate autumn’s beauty.