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A crowd of families, teens, and
excited young children gathered Saturday morning for the annual
Pumpkin Smash and Splash, hosted by the Logan County Parks
Coalition.
The morning began at the Lincoln Community Garden, where
participants lined up to smash their post-Halloween pumpkins, before
heading to Kickapoo Creek Park to send gourds flying off the large
bridge for the “splash.”
Event organizer Molly McCain, Community Health Consultant at Lincoln
Memorial Hospital, said the coalition tries to create earth-friendly
activities throughout the year.
“We try to do something earth friendly a couple times a year. So, we
do Earth Day events, and then we also do the pumpkin smash and
splash,” McCain said. “This is our third year doing it.”
McCain described the event as both fun and environmentally
meaningful. “I'm just glad that there was a really good turnout. We
had perfect weather for it… the kids are having a great time,” she
said. “And we're helping the environment.”
She added that keeping pumpkins out
of landfills prevents methane gas formation and allows them to be
returned to the local ecosystem as wildlife food. “It’s just a way
to keep stuff out of the landfills… and we can feed the wildlife at
the same time.”
At the splash site in Kickapoo Creek Park, John, a local ranger who
has worked in park operations for four years, oversaw the event. He
brought his own children along to participate, making the morning
both a workday and a family outing. The ranger explained why the
event has become an annual tradition for area parks.
“A lot of the animals and wildlife, they'll eat the pumpkins instead
of throwing them in the landfills and getting wasted,” he said. “We
just kind of give it back to the wildlife so they have some food and
nutrients for the winter.”
Back at the community garden, volunteers provided mallets, kid-safe
tools, and a large tarp for safe smashing. Rachel Judd, one of the
garden’s founders, said they saw a strong turnout of newcomers this
year.
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“People came, dropped us their
pumpkins, and then had the opportunity to drop them and leave
them or to smash them, which is always really fun,” Judd said.
“We do them all on a tarp, and then that tarp gets dumped into
our compost bin so they can compost over the winter… great way
to recycle those pumpkins and make sure they have a good place
to go.”
Judd also emphasized community
involvement. The Lincoln Community High School LEAF Club volunteered
throughout the morning, a contribution she called invaluable.
“Just shout out to those students… They don't get paid, they don't
get anything for it. They just get to come out and do it,” she said.
“Community gardening is a community activity… even if you're not a
gardener, come participate in the events.”
The Pumpkin Smash and Splash is rooted in the Parks Coalition’s
mission to support conservation, composting, and community
engagement across Logan County. The coalition also coordinates
annual Earth Day clean-ups, which Judd noted will return this
spring.
“Generally, our big kickoff is Earth Day… we always do a big day
where we clean the garden and we plant all the starters,” she said.
With perfect weather, enthusiastic volunteers, and pumpkins flying
from bridge and garden alike, this year’s Smash and Splash delivered
both fall fun and environmental impact for families across Lincoln.
Pumpkin Smash and Splash - Slideshow
Pumpkin Smash and Splash - Videos
[Sophia Larimore]
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