Pumpkin Carving Contest
Saturday
October 25, 2025
Sixty-seven entries graced the park lawn this year, and competition was extra fierce.
Our judges assessed the entries and made those difficult decisions! THANK YOU Tricia Shimamura and Iris Rodriguez-Rosa from NYC Parks, Council Member Chris Marte, Tory Weil from Friends of Bogardus Plaza, Hanne Larsen from Downtown Dance Factory, and Nico Victorino from PS150.
View our Instagram event post (@washingtonmarketpark)
Thank you to our sponsor for this year’s event: Tribeca Citizen!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2025 WINNERS!
FUNNIEST
“Star Wars”
“Ozempic Pumpkin”
MOST CREATIVE
“Petition for a Park Cat”
“Labooboo”
SCARIEST
“The Brain Rot Pumpkin”
“Pumpkinator P800”
CUTEST
“The Downfall of the Rat Czar”
“Pink Pony Club”
MOST REALISTIC
“‘I LOVE NYC’ Bacon, Egg and Cheese”
“Meet Me at the Gazebo”
MASTER BLADE
“Mostly Vegetarian”
And our OVERALL WINNER!
“Spectator”
THE CONTEST
It’s neighbor versus neighbor in this friendly but fierce competition!
Our fun, free and festive pumpkin decorating contest has grown into a community favorite, and 2025 will be its 11th year.
Bring your own pumpkin to enter, or just stop by with your family to enjoy the festive display! This is community event – free and open to everyone.
- 3-5pm – Bring your already-carved or decorated pumpkin into the park! Volunteers will check you in, and you will arrange your pumpkin in the designated area.
- 5-5:30pm – Our contest judges will assess the field of entries in five categories: most creative, funniest, scariest, cutest and most realistic with trophies as prizes for the winners and runners-up. This year we will also introduce a new category: “master blade!” The winner of this specific category will win a cash prize.
- 5:30pm – All winners will be announced in the park and on our instagram page!
- After awards are distributed, you are welcome to take your pumpkin home OR carry it to our garden pumpkin patch where it can spend Halloween week! Afterwards, the remaining pumpkins will be composted.
