Park's Pumpkin Carving Contest Once Again Showcases Local Creativity

Left: Bobby Garcia's masterfully carved pumpkin "Mostly Vegetarian" won in the new category, Master Blade, which also carries a $200 cash prize. Right: Visitors to the park's Pumpkin Carving Contest peruse this year's 67 entries. Photos: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Pumpkins transformed into whales and jails, mice and monsters, and even a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich were among the 67 entries in Washington Market Park’s 11th annual Pumpkin Carving Contest, held on Saturday.

Taking place the day before the park’s annual Halloween Parade and Party, the popular Tribeca events are sponsored by Friends of Washington Market Park and co-chaired by Pam Frederick and Erica Martini. Parks Department Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa handed out trophies.

For the first time, entries dotted the west side of the park in a single long line that allowed close inspection (but not too close, as the youngest observers were reminded) of the fancifully reimagined vegetables. The five judges, Hanne Larsen (Downtown Dance Factory), Council Member Christopher Marte, Tricia Shimamura (New York City Parks Department), Nico Victorino (PS 150) and Victoria Weil (Bogardus Plaza), had no easy task in determining the winners and runner ups in six categories. For the first time, a $200 cash prize went to the winner of Master Blade, a new category.

“We [judges] kept saying it's a pumpkin carving contest, not a pumpkin painting contest,” said Weil, a first-time judge. “So, we had to think about that, which I think knocked a few lower down than they might have been otherwise.”

One of the “trickiest” parts of judging, “was there were so many creative and thoughtful pumpkins lined up,” Weil also noted, “you want to make everybody feel good about the effort they put in.”

Photos by Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib and Linda Buongermino