Elementary students are getting creative turning their pumpkins into spooky carved faces, painted masterpieces or fun, quirky critters.

It’s the traditional pumpkin parade where Midvale Elementary students create their pumpkin masterpieces at home and bring them to the school to be displayed and judged for one of several fun awards. 

This year’s pumpkin parade will be Oct. 30.

“It is a completely creative art project where the only criteria used is a pumpkin,” said Midvale Elementary PTA President Jessica Brown. “We invite all the students to show off their pumpkins and put them on the school stairs so classes can walk by and look at them.”

The award categories depend on the entries. Last year, the six certificates awarded were for best carved, most creative, most innovative, paint master, best character from a book or movie and best food entry. 

“We’ve had cutely painted teeny tiny painted pumpkins and we’ve had big ones. One year a student made a gumball machine out of a humongous pumpkin. It’s really an anything goes project that’s really fun,” Brown said. “We’re just giving kids a chance to bring it in and show it off. It gives them kind of something they can do artistically whether they’re with their family or doing it themselves.”

Students are enthusiastic about the chance to participate.

“Usually, we get about 60 students bringing in pumpkins. We have had a little more than 100 some years,” she said. “As a PTA, we want to help every kid have all the experiences to better their future and we want to get kids more involved in the school, so this is one of those ways for them to get involved. It’s no pressure, it’s easy and it’s fun.”

Classes, school staff and faculty, and other guests help to judge the pumpkin parade, usually during the first hour of the school day.

“We might have a class vote or an office or cafeteria vote on their favorites,” Brown said. “I just love watching the kids be so proud of their pumpkins. They get excited to show all their friends which one is theirs. We do it before Halloween so the kids can take the pumpkins home to put out on Halloween.” λ