Stories

October 25, 2013 Week 9

Walking behind the scenes

By Cassidy Stephens

Cache Valley residents welcomed the annual North Logan Pumpkin Walk Thursday at Elk Ridge Park. The five-day event showcases the many hours of volunteered service from the community.

The scenes can be viewed Oct. 24, 25, 26, 28 and 29.

The Pumpkin Walk is a non-profit Cache Valley tradition that is planned and hosted by volunteers and service groups. Hundreds of volunteers come together each year to create a gallery of painted pumpkin and squash scenes for people of all ages to enjoy.

This year marks the 30th anniversary since the event began on the Beutler family farm in 1983.

“We want to make it a fun place for families and people to come and have a good time,” said Gina Worthen, a member of the Pumpkin Walk committee. “We couldn’t do this event without the help of the people in Cache Valley.”

The volunteers are split into different groups that perform a specific task.

Groups of Utah State University students, family, friends and local school groups created painted pumpkins scenes and murals depicting a movie, game, or another well-known image or story, she said.

Another group, typically consisting of men, is assigned to set up the variety of pumpkin scenes in the park. Working alongside them are the electricians who oversee the wiring for power during the event.

“Every person counts; we need their help and we appreciate it so much,” Worthen said. “Our pay is watching people enjoy it.”

Approximately 30,000 people attend the Pumpkin Walk each year. Some travel long distances to see the pumpkin scenes.

People have came from the East Coast, the West Coast and even Japan, Worthen said.

“It’s fun to do something that so many people enjoy,” she said.

Joseph Hawkes, a Pumpkin Walk volunteer, gives certain tasks to boys in the community each year looking for an Eagle Scout service project for the Boy Scouts of America.

These assignments include hanging decorative lights on fence posts and trees and maintaining the fire stations for warmth during the event, Hawkes said.

“It’s a learning process, they have to learn how to do it right,” he said.

Hawkes has been helping with the Pumpkin Walk for five years and enjoys working with the Boy Scouts, he said.

“It’s a nice experience,” Hawkes said. “No one is getting paid. They are doing it because they love providing service for the community.”

Sharik Peck, a regular Pumpkin Walk attendee, said his wife grew up by the Beutler farm. They have attended the Pumpkin Walk several times over the years and make sure they go wherever they live.

“It’s an amazing thing – such talent,” Peck said. “It’s nice to have something that won’t horrify the kids.”

The Pumpkin Walk is a free event open to the public.

“It is a gift to the community. That’s how it started and that’s how it’s meant to be,” Worthen said.