A woman walked up to her stoop cradling in her arms some new purchase. She was overheard saying to her neighbor, “Look at this gourd. Doesn’t it look just like a RAT?” A boy walking home from Leeds School was overheard saying to his buddy, “This is the first year I get to carve!” The anticipation was building for the Great Leeds Pumpkin Contest which was held on the clear moonlit night of October 27th.
The new venue at Upland and Chestnut was ideal for the large gathering of Leeds folk who really know how to get into the spirit of Halloween. Cheering kids followed their pumpkins down the hill to see if theirs crossed the finish line first. Neighbors young and old criss-crossed the roadside pumpkin gallery to take in the creativity on display by our community and vote for their favorites. They saw four pumpkins transformed into a punk rock band, a space alien, a discoteque, a Las Vegas Elvis Presley, a gorilla face, a Good Night Moon Mouse House that offered a view through the window to a fully furnished room with a happy mouse family munching on
gummy bears and enjoying the glow of a working fireplace! One pumpkin was turned into a gorgeous full lipped lady with an autumn leaf hairdo, another an upside down pig face, five carved pumpkins stacked became a totem pole while eight in a row spelled out “Frankenstorm.” Pumpkin party revellers enjoyed homemade soups, baked potatoes with the fixins’ and other treats while listening to Shawn Gundersen’s line up of spooky tunes and comic banter.
Jim Montgomery of Grove Avenue won first prize for his delightful mousehouse and went home with the coveted rosemary apple pie baked by Ananda Lennox. The adorable trick-or-treating ghost with glowing eyes and mouth, and carrying a tiny pumpkin filled with candy corn was made by Anna Rosen and won first prize in the youth contest. Each and every pumpkin carved, decorated and displayed was ooohed and ahhhed over…including the RAT!
Thanks to the many helping hands and pumpkin carvers for making this event so fun!
A complete list of pumpkin winners and photographs can be viewed here.
https://leedscivic.org/leeds2/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LCAlogotrans2.png00justinhttps://leedscivic.org/leeds2/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LCAlogotrans2.pngjustin2012-10-31 18:02:142012-10-31 18:02:14Carving up a Storm…The Great Leeds Pumpkin Contest
A big moon-sized “thank you” to all the Leeds Pumpkin Carvers and families that made this event…well, a spectacular event! Without you, your efforts, and participation the night of October 27th would have been just another quiet evening on the corner of Upland and Chestnut. Instead, because Leeds people know how to give it up for a good party, we had over 50 pumpkin entries, yummy food, music, a crackling fire pit and of course as the the grand finale… Jim’s “famous blazing creation!”
And did I mention prizes?
Drum Roll…..And the winners are…
.
Youth Pumpkin Carving Winners
1st Place Youth – TRICK OR TREATING GHOST by Anna Rosen 2nd Place Youth – BIG WHISKERED CAT by Ryan Cheevers 3rd Place Youth – FRANKENPUMPKIN by Leah Ansaldo
All youth winners received special treats and a $10 gift certificate to A2Z donated by Amy and Tom Quinn. .
Adult Pumpkin Carving Winners
1st Place Adult – GOODNIGHT MOON MOUSE HOUSE created by Jim Montgomery,
the lucky winner of the home made rosemary apple pie baked by Ananda Lennox.
2nd Place Adult – ELVIS THE PUMPKING by Justin O’Connor who won a bag of Northern
Spy apples, fancy Sam Smith Cider, and an apple cookbook donated by Heidi Stevens.
3rd Place Adult – DISCO PUMPKIN by Heidi Stevens, won the hefty 50 pound bag of farm
fresh potatoes with the creepy skeleton hand reaching out donated by Penny Geis. .
Pumpkin Roll
2012 Winner Owen Miller .
Candy Corn Guessing Jar
A tie between Ben O’Connor and Alex Rosen.
Random name grab (donated by Amy Quinn) gave the booty to Alex Rosen.
Nice math guys! .
Carver’s Participation Prize Drawing
A $25 gift certificate to Look Restaurant donated by Julie Akeret
Winner – Rowan Hodgson.
UPDATE: Owen took his dad and brother out next morning for breakfast. Owen had buttermilk pancakes, side of sausage and hot chocolate. And oh… the pancakes had whipped cream on them. He sure is glad he carved in 2012!
THANK YOU to all the volunteers that worked their special magic contributing in one way or another:
Julie Akeret, Alice Baedecker, Sue Carbin, Stephy Choe, Pamela Cobb, Joel Emrick, Mary Lee Emrick, Penny Geis, Shawn Gunderson, Leslie Skantz-Hodgson, Ruth Ever Hale, Ananda Lennox, Jim Mias, Jean Miller, Jim Montgomery, Justin O’Connor, David Rondina, Brenda and Jim Ryan, Trisha Reidy, Kyle Schaller, Heidi Stevens, Amy Quinn and Tom Quinn.
September 9th Block Party. Badminton, ping pong, hula hooping and limbo kept the young at heart entertained. New neighbors made new friends, kids had their faces painted, and people caught up on neighborhood news.
https://leedscivic.org/leeds2/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LCAlogotrans2.png00justinhttps://leedscivic.org/leeds2/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LCAlogotrans2.pngjustin2012-10-05 21:59:252012-10-05 21:59:25Beautiful Skies Over Fun Block Party
Carving up a Storm…The Great Leeds Pumpkin Contest
The new venue at Upland and Chestnut was ideal for the large gathering of Leeds folk who really know how to get into the spirit of Halloween. Cheering kids followed their pumpkins down the hill to see if theirs crossed the finish line first. Neighbors young and old criss-crossed the roadside pumpkin gallery to take in the creativity on display by our community and vote for their favorites. They saw four pumpkins transformed into a punk rock band, a space alien, a discoteque, a Las Vegas Elvis Presley, a gorilla face, a Good Night Moon Mouse House that offered a view through the window to a fully furnished room with a happy mouse family munching on
gummy bears and enjoying the glow of a working fireplace! One pumpkin was turned into a gorgeous full lipped lady with an autumn leaf hairdo, another an upside down pig face, five carved pumpkins stacked became a totem pole while eight in a row spelled out “Frankenstorm.” Pumpkin party revellers enjoyed homemade soups, baked potatoes with the fixins’ and other treats while listening to Shawn Gundersen’s line up of spooky tunes and comic banter.
Jim Montgomery of Grove Avenue won first prize for his delightful mousehouse and went home with the coveted rosemary apple pie baked by Ananda Lennox. The adorable trick-or-treating ghost with glowing eyes and mouth, and carrying a tiny pumpkin filled with candy corn was made by Anna Rosen and won first prize in the youth contest. Each and every pumpkin carved, decorated and displayed was ooohed and ahhhed over…including the RAT!
Thanks to the many helping hands and pumpkin carvers for making this event so fun!
A complete list of pumpkin winners and photographs can be viewed here.
Photo galleries of this event can be found here.
2012 Pumpkin Contest
A big moon-sized “thank you” to all the Leeds Pumpkin Carvers and families that made this event…well, a spectacular event! Without you, your efforts, and participation the night of October 27th would have been just another quiet evening on the corner of Upland and Chestnut. Instead, because Leeds people know how to give it up for a good party, we had over 50 pumpkin entries, yummy food, music, a crackling fire pit and of course as the the grand finale… Jim’s “famous blazing creation!”
And did I mention prizes?
Drum Roll…..And the winners are…
.
Youth Pumpkin Carving Winners
All youth winners received special treats and a $10 gift certificate to A2Z donated by Amy and Tom Quinn.
.
Adult Pumpkin Carving Winners
the lucky winner of the home made rosemary apple pie baked by Ananda Lennox.
Spy apples, fancy Sam Smith Cider, and an apple cookbook donated by Heidi Stevens.
fresh potatoes with the creepy skeleton hand reaching out donated by Penny Geis.
.
Pumpkin Roll
.
Candy Corn Guessing Jar
Random name grab (donated by Amy Quinn) gave the booty to Alex Rosen.
Nice math guys!
.
Carver’s Participation Prize Drawing
Winner – Rowan Hodgson.
UPDATE: Owen took his dad and brother out next morning for breakfast. Owen had buttermilk pancakes, side of sausage and hot chocolate. And oh… the pancakes had whipped cream on them. He sure is glad he carved in 2012!
THANK YOU to all the volunteers that worked their special magic contributing in one way or another:
Julie Akeret, Alice Baedecker, Sue Carbin, Stephy Choe, Pamela Cobb, Joel Emrick, Mary Lee Emrick, Penny Geis, Shawn Gunderson, Leslie Skantz-Hodgson, Ruth Ever Hale, Ananda Lennox, Jim Mias, Jean Miller, Jim Montgomery, Justin O’Connor, David Rondina, Brenda and Jim Ryan, Trisha Reidy, Kyle Schaller, Heidi Stevens, Amy Quinn and Tom Quinn.
Beautiful Skies Over Fun Block Party
September 9th Block Party. Badminton, ping pong, hula hooping and limbo kept the young at heart entertained. New neighbors made new friends, kids had their faces painted, and people caught up on neighborhood news.
See the event photo gallery here.