LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) – The era of the plain carved jack-o’-lantern has given way to the art of extreme pumpkin carving, a trend popularized by the Food Network. This weekend, Lima will host seven professional pumpkin carvers for the inaugural Pumpkin Invasion, sponsored by The Social House.
The carvers are already preparing pumpkins that will be on display Friday and Saturday. On Saturday, they will carve giant pumpkins in front of the public, showcasing the techniques that turn gourds into works of art.
“A lot of detail, a lot of removing the meat to kind of expose areas so you can create these shadows and these textures that when the sunlight hits it right, it kind of reads it itself,” said William Wilson, a professional carver from Cincinnati. “So you’re basically making three-dimensional pictures with one solid color. So you’ve got to really rely on your shadows to create the picture for you.”
Anthony Pater, a professional pumpkin carver from Altoona, Pennsylvania, said he strives to push the limits of what can be done. “I like bringing strong forms. I like high levels of detail and texture, and most importantly, I think people are expecting faces, skulls, typical iconography from a pumpkin event,” he said. “But I want to challenge myself, and I want to do really over-the-top creative things this year.”
Each of the carvers has appeared on at least one national pumpkin carving show and noted that Ohio is considered a mecca for the craft. Pumpkin Invasion begins Friday at 3 p.m. with vendors and food trucks. The giant pumpkin weigh-off is scheduled for 5 p.m., followed by a meet-and-greet with the carvers at 7 p.m. The event continues Saturday with the giant pumpkin carving contest starting at 11 a.m. Activities will take place throughout the day, with winners announced at 9 p.m.
Events will be held around Spring and Union streets near the amphitheater. A full schedule is available on the “Pumpkin Invasion” Facebook page.
