KIPLING - Get creative. It’s time to carve your best jack-o’-lantern from one of the many pumpkins to pick from at the Kipling Public Library.
Charla Smyth, librarian at the Kipling branch, invites all ages to take part in the library’s pumpkin contest.
“Essentially my idea was just to have people come and take a pumpkin home and then just be creative,” says Smyth.
Creativity doesn’t look the same for everyone so not everyone is going to want to carve a pumpkin. Maybe you’ll want to bake something or draw or paint right onto the pumpkin and decorate it for Halloween.
Thanks goes out to Jim and Shirley Toth who donated 40 pumpkins. The couple say they have an abundance of pumpkins planted to keep the raccoons out of their garden.
People can decorate their pumpkins and submit photos either by emailing them to [email protected] or posting them right on Facebook.
A mystery prize will be awarded.
“It will end up being a draw prize rather than a contest,” explains Smyth. “Once the draw is made there will be an age appropriate gift awarded.”
It’s meant to be fun.
Bake it, carve it, paint it, cook it.
“I think there’s a lot of interest in the pumpkin contest,” says Smyth.
Stop in at the Kipling Library starting Oct. 26 to pick up your pumpkin and send in your photos by Nov. 1.
This is a great time to decorate your pumpkin for your own Halloween display at home.
“Please don’t bring all the pumpkins back to me unless it’s baked into something delicious,” laughs Smyth.
“Otherwise the library has been busy with programs and people are wanting to do more programs,” explains Smyth. “It’s been so exciting.”
“We were doing a lot of take ‘n make projects.”
“In September we decided to go ahead and do some in-person projects,” explains Smyth, who then added, “and people have really been on board with that.”
“It’s not huge crowds of people that are coming because not everyone is comfortable with that yet.”
“We did a Plant a Seed Read at the end of September and it was really fun because that was our first in-person children’s program so it was so fun to do stories together and have the kids plant their vegetable seeds. Kids were encouraged to plant a seed and watch it grow.”
The group would talk about gardening, teaching the children about planting their own food and then what to do with the produce once it’s ready to be harvested and what to do with it thereafter.
“The goal is to get the kids thinking about growing their own gardens down the road,” explains Smyth.
Watch for upcoming programs at the Kipling Library.
