Above: Start planning to take part in the annual community jack o lantern display put on by Southborough Rotary. (images L-R cropped from Rotary photos from Facebook and contributed with credit to Ron Hereema)
This Sunday is Southborough Rotary’s annual Heritage Day Eve event — the popular Pumpkin Stroll.
For those of you unfamiliar with the event, it’s a display of lit pumpkins that line the stone wall running around the Old Burial Ground. The lineup begins on Common Street next to the Southborough Library, runs up the hill, and around the corner on St. Mark’s Street.
Rotary invites:
The community is invited to walk past the lit display of silly, scary, grotesque, creative, and even beautiful carved gourds.
Rotary Club volunteers will be at a table in front of the Southborough Library offering free cider, cookies and other treats “to make the event more festive”.
At the table, they’ll also encourage attendees to drop off a contribution for the Southborough Food Pantry. (Rotary is pointing people to check the pantry’s current needs list here before shopping.) Or, “Alternatively, you can make a donation to Rotary’s annual effort to give holiday season gift cards to Southborough families in need.”
As for the pumpkins — every year, designs cover a range of traditional and clever contributions. Something always surprises me. Below are examples from each year the blog has covered the event.* (For more great inspirations, check out the blog’s past photo galleries.)
If you are contributing to this year’s display, please drop off your carved or decorated pumpkins from 4:00 – 6:00 pm that afternoon – Sunday, October 13th. (If you want them back, make sure to fetch them by Monday morning.)
Strolling the lit display is from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. (It is typically busiest after dusk).
If you don’t have a pumpkin for carving yet, here are some local options to take advantage of.
Gulbankians Florist in Southborough has been advertising that they are selling pumpkins. And there are also some pick-your-own options at farms in neighboring towns:
Tougas Family Farm in Northborough (It’s also still their apple picking season.)- Nourse Farms in Westborough
- Hanson’s Farm in Framingham
*The event couldn’t be held in 2016 and 2020 (due to weather and Covid), and no photos were posted in 2010.
Updated (10/8/24 12:20 pm): I just realized that the subhead from last year was included in this year’s post! Sorry, there is no photo contest or ice cream truck this year. As I noted, Rotary will be giving away treats. As for a consolation for the contest — I am always on the lookout for great photos of contributed pumpkins. Email me your pics (at mysouthborough@gmail.com) with info on who to credit for the carving/decorating and the photo. I’ll share my favorites next week!
