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Stratford’s civic beautification and environmental awareness and Communities In Bloom committees hosted the city’s 12th annual Pumpkin Parade in Market Square.

Pumpkin carving is a fall tradition that many of us participate in year after year. But what happens to the pumpkins after Halloween when they’re no longer needed?

The civic beautification and environmental awareness committee (CBEAC) and Stratford’s Communities In Bloom committee held the answer on Nov. 1 with the 12th annual Pumpkin Parade in Market square.

Throughout the day, locals brought in their pumpkin creations to put on display, filling Market square with wonderfully decorated pumpkins from one end to the next. Once the sun began to set, volunteers from the local air-cadet squadron set to work lighting the pumpkins, turning market square into a beautiful scene of illuminated jack-o-lanterns that everyone could enjoy.

“We moved to Market Square in 2017 and before that we were on Veterans Drive by the bandshell, but we decided to move here because it’s easier to see and there’s no need for road closures,” said CBEAC member Barb Hacking.    

This festive tradition began in 2012, when the members of CBEAC began talking about wanting to put together a fun, fall-themed event for after Halloween, but before the Christmas craze began.

“We began looking around at what other communities are doing around this time and we found this one great event where people bring their pumpkins down the day after Halloween so everyone can see them,” said Communities In Bloom committee chair Brad Beatty, who helped organize this event.

Of course, there’s more to this tradition than just displaying the beautifully carved pumpkins; they also go to good use. Once the night winds down, the organizers and volunteers load the pumpkins onto a large dig-it unlimited truck and send them to a local farm just outside of Stratford where the pumpkins become a tasty treat for the farms pigs.

For more information about CBEAC, email cbeacstratford@yahoo.ca or call 519-276-0393. To stay up to date on what the committee is doing, check out Stratford Civic Beautification and Environmental Awareness Committee on Facebook.