What started as a friendly competition to keep Halloween festivities active during the COVID-19 pandemic has grown to a community-wide tradition planned by the University of Mississippi Museum.
Named after UM alumnus and novelist Stark Young, the Stark Raving Pumpkin Carving Contest takes place at the Walton-Young Historic House on campus. The idea was created by UM Museum Curator and Collections Manager Melanie Antonelli.
As far as judging goes, the winning pumpkin’s fate lies in the hands of the people of Oxford.
“They (the pumpkins) will be up all through Halloween weekend, and people will be able to visit the lawn, visit the porch and cast their votes for the pumpkins. We’ll have paper ballots on the porch,” Museum Membership, Events and Communications Coordinator Andrea Drummond said.
Anyone can enter a pumpkin in the contest by pre-registering by Wednesday, Oct. 25. The price of entry is $5 for the general public, $3 for Museum Members and free for students.
Once registered, all contestants have to do is drop off their best carved creation at the Walton-Young Historic House sometime between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on either Thursday, Oct. 26 or Friday, Oct. 27.
On Halloween morning, the winners of the contest will be announced on the UM Museum’s social media channels, namely Instagram, Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter. Aside from gaining the pride of carving one of the best pumpkins in Oxford, the winners also receive prizes from some local favorites.
“Previous years, the winners have gotten a Square Books gift card. Last year, we had an intern go around the Square and gather donations from local businesses so that they were gift baskets of assorted Oxford things,” Drummond said. “This year, we’re hoping to have something like that again, where you can get a mix of things and gift cards from local businesses or items that were donated.”
The contest comprises four different categories: scariest, most creative, funniest and best in show. Because there are several different categories contestants can win, there is lots of room for innovative pumpkin designs.
Last year’s best in show winner, Drummond Lewis, centered his creation around a plastic skeleton climbing out from the middle of a pumpkin. The funniest pumpkin award went to Dylan Bridge, who featured one pumpkin wearing a witch hat and blue pom-pom for hair eating another pumpkin with a pipe cleaner frown and hands.
“Not last year, but the year before, someone did a gourd that was long and skinny and they turned it into Frankenstein’s monster. They painted it green and had the neck bolts, and there was another one – I believe it was a spider – last year that was really fun. Someone painted it black and covered it in googly eyes with the eight legs protruding from it. People get really creative,” Drummond said.
The pumpkins will be available for public viewing starting Oct. 26 after pumpkin drop-off until the morning of Nov. 1.
Anyone can enter a pumpkin in the contest by pre registering by Wednesday, October 25. The price of entry is $5 for the general public, $3 for Museum Members and free for students.
For questions regarding the Stark Raving Pumpkin Carving Contest, contact UM Museum Educator Kassidy Franz at klfranz@go.olemiss.edu.
