The City’s most spellbinding spectacle of colorfully colossal cucurbits, and signature “family fall festival” happens Oct. 19–20, 2024 at the City’s newest pumpkin patch place: 3 Crossings campus between 28th and 29th streets!
The Monster Pumpkin Festival promises one memorable and magical moment in time, made possible by the the world-famous ATLANTIC GIANTS—the most prodigious breed of pumpkins on the planet—with record weights well over 2,500 pounds!
Step Right Up to “The Big Top”…This Year’s Carving Theme Centers Around the Circus.
Nearly everyone loves the circus and this year’s massive festival carving will feature “The Greatest Growth on Earth”—giant pumpkins—in a collective scene of under-the-tent showmanship involving circus animals—lion, tiger, elephant. Headline carvers: Dean Murray, making his seventh consecutive appearance at the event, will lead a team of experienced and award-winning artists including: Chris Foltz, Ryan Andersen and central PA’s own, Danny Kissel. They take on the titanic task of sculpting nearly 10 tons of pumpkin into a seamless scene—stacking, staging, cutting and arranging pumpkins—large and small—together to make the final image appear continuous. The carvers, all renowned performers in the field of “temporary art,” arrive days before the event to begin picking, scraping, etching, chiseling and fashioning raw pumpkin into fleshy 3-D imagery. Individually, the quartet has performed around the world, on television and in major festivals everywhere—and have collected multiple titles in international competitions across varying carving disciplines [food, wood, ice].
One Fall Tops Them All… WTAE Pumpkin Drop…benefitting Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh!
The Monster Pumpkin Festival has teamed up with WTAE Channel-4 and Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh (HARP), one of Pennsylvania’s largest non-profit organizations dedicated to the welfare of animals, pet owners and the community. HARP operates two low-cost, high-quality veterinary medical centers. In an average year, over 6,500 animals are treated and more than 7,000 spay and neuter surgeries are performed in these facilities.
Here’s how the drop works: they fill a 10’-diameter, 3’-deep inflatable pool with water and numbered ping pong balls. A reasonable donation gets you one ball in the pool and one chance to win a $500 Amazon gift card. We release the pumpkin into the pool and the prodigious plunge wildly disperses the balls. The one traveling farthest from the pool gets the goods. You can purchase your ping-pong ball at the festival on the day of the drop, Oct. 19!
Gourd-geous Glass Vessel Studio Glass Adds Sparkle, Fire, and Flair to the Festival
Glass Blowing Becomes Intriguing Spectacle for Spectators of all Ages.
Pumpkins and glass…the artisans of Vessel Studio Glass are true champions of the glassblowing craft, demonstrating and showcasing the timeless, free-blowing technique. The studio owners and husband/wife team of Drew and Jeannine Hine bring their crew, furnace, plenty of talent and engaging showmanship to the event…enlivening crowd enthusiasm and wowing faces young and old as they turn molten glass into intricate and beautiful Fall-themed pieces of art.
Their shows are performative, instructive, educational and entertaining…and this year, they will be integrating their talents with those of our master carvers to produce some rather unique and expressive creations with real pumpkins.
Plus, the Studio brings and eclectic display of their hand-blown products to sell, all at special event pricing…flamboyant pieces that brighten any space or to make the perfect and extraordinary gift for your special someone. We promise: they’ll fire you up!
Cozy Carriage Rides…An Enchanting, Old-Fashioned Clomp and Stroll!
A Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride Adds Charm To Your Day!
The talented trainers and carriage drivers from Misty Lane Farms Performance Horses will have several of their teams on hand to create one idyllic setting and memorable gallop to your memories for the
weekend. Two iconic carriages will be featured including a truly inviting “Cinderella-style” ride and a more traditional, direct-from-the-farm wagon—each pulled by a team of magnificent Percheron horses.
The carriages will run from 10 a.m., to 5:30 p.m. both days of the festival. But giddyap and don’t wait when you arrive.The activity is extremely popular and capacity on each carriage is limited. Proceeds from each ride benefit festival charitable partners.
Xfinity “Extreme!”
One Mighty Jack-O-Lantern!The only jack-o-lantern in the event—a 2,000+ pound giant—officially named the “Xfinity Extreme” will sit prominently within the Stack’s Courtyard for outstanding photo ops and keepsake moments.
During the festival’s six short years, we have set world records for largest/heaviest jack-o-lantern twice…only to have those records shattered at competing festivals, once within the same year.
Although spectators are treated to tens of thousands of pounds of pumpkin each year here, only one giant is selected for “jack-o-lantern” carving. To be eligible for world record consideration, Guinness World Records defines a jack-o-lantern as follows:
- For the purposes of the record, a ‘Jack o’lantern’ is defined as a hollowed out pumpkin or turnip that contains a lit candle inside and cut out holes on its surface to represent facial features.
- To be considered for the record, the Jack o’lantern must surpass any existing record in this category by both diameter and the height.
Fall Festival Fantasia
Foods, Drinks, Crafts…and Lots of Fall-Like Things to Fill Your Day.
A Pumpkin Patch Aplenty
Traditional foods and drinks that come with October and the Fall fill our banquet of tasty treats and enticing eats. You’ll discover an eclectic row of craft vendors and product makers, many from areas right here in our hometown…proud entrepreneurs and talented artisans who add tons of color and atmosphere to the festivities.
Kool Kids Stuff Too!
We didn’t forget the kids…family fun is what we’re all about and while we’re sure the little ones will be overwhelmed at seeing what will likely be their first giant pumpkin ever, we’ve got some specific activities to satisfy their size as well…
- KIDS “PEDAL TRACTOR PULL”…for tykes 3-to 8 years-old, the fun is endless the fascination on your child’s face priceless. Watch as each child pedals a replica farm tractor while dragging a weighted sled behind them. Dragging creates friction, so the farther one pedals, the harder it gets…but the fun is in the experience…and the small prize each child receives for their effort
- “Color With Chrissy”…one of the best face painters in the tri-state, the talented and tastefully creative Christine Patton brings her palette of incredible designs to add joy and surprise to the faces of everyone.
Punkin’ Pic Photo Spot!
Select selfi-spots, uniquely configured and staffed with “authentic-looking” characters …we’ve created designated and delightful photo-op areas to help you frame—primarily for children and parents/guardians with child-like whims—memorable festival moments and social media ops while at the event.
The dressed- and dolled-up characters at each station will be surrounded by dynamic staging elements relevant to their costume themes and festival for that perfect picture. The characters appear at scheduled times each day of the event and dedicated festival staff will assist with individual/family photo taking as impersonating characters interact socially with guests.
Check the event schedule for character appearance times…there are two different characters featured each day of the event.
Big Top Talent!
A bit of circus color comes to the Courtyard …through the glitter and artistry of Lovely Lady Lydia, a dynamic, engaging and multi-talented performer. Her first show is a combination of flow arts—dance, creative expression, prop manipulation—in one skillful, lively and entertaining exhibition. The late afternoon show is all about the flare and glow—with fire-dancing movements and flame-flowing props acrobatically whipped, twirled and displayed. Here’s a taste of what you’ll see:
Pie Eating/Pig Out Plunge … Squash Sling - Time to Test Your Pumpkin Mettle!
The pie-eating competition happens, Sat., October 19. On Sunday, Oct. 20, we’re introducing the new “Pumpkin Pig Out” Competition…where energetic eaters will tackle a trio of pumpkin flavored treats—ravioli, funnel cake and gelato—all at one sitting. We’ll only select 10 lucky gluttons for each competition…so get in first, then start polishing your pumpkin eating prowess.
Plow into the Monster “Pumpkin Pie Plunge” and “Pumpkin Pig Out”
Gotta penchant for pie that’s whipped cream piled high? We’re searching for the ultimate pumpkin pie lovers. The ones who savor sugar, spice and dessert always twice. It’s your time…to showcase to all your pumpkin pie pride! Click Here to enter the Monster “Pumpkin Pie Plunge” eating contest and pack your tummy with calories so yummy.
Your challenge? Fly, face first, into a full size pie piled high with whipped creme and scrumptiously flavored with the season’s fruit of the month of course: pumpkin. Aah, but there’s a trick around this treat—no hands allowed…we set the time limit and whoever plows through first, or eats the most gets the win and grabs the prizes!
Or, you might want to save your skills and energy for the all new “Pumpkin Pig Out” challenge…happening Sunday, Oct. 20. Here, we give you a small smorgasbord of pumpkin tainted foods/treats—ravioli, funnel cake, gelato—and let you go to it! Down it faster than the others and take home the gold…well, a trophy, gift card and t-shirt to be exact. To enter click here and comment on the facebook post. Good luck!
Got what it takes? Put your mouth where the pie is...must be 18 years of age or older.
It’s a Sling Thing
You’ve heard of punk’in chunk’in…well, we’ve got “squash sling’in” and it works just as it sounds…an oversized sling shot of sorts engineered, designed and carefully crafted—well that’s what we wanted to do if we had the time. Instead, we settled on a zany, d-i-y built pumpkin propeller contraption to launch small pie pumpkins through the air with ease…and simple, yet satisfying fun. We’ll give you some targets to tackle…and two, maybe three tries to hit’em…all just for the fun of it. So stop by and take a sling…give it a shot and watch’em go.
The Greatest Growth on Earth…at Pittsburgh’s Most Engaging Neighborhood—The Strip District!
The Skinny:
When: Saturday, Oct. 19 through Sunday Oct. 20
Where: The Stacks at 3 Crossings in the City’s fabulous Strip District…for your GPS, use the following address: 2875 Railroad Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Time: Festival starts and ends same times each day—10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: admission is FREE and so is almost everything else at the event [except food concessions, carriage rides]
Parking: best options…try The Hub, a 590-space parking facility just a few streets from the event. For your GPS, use: 114 27th St Pittsburgh, PA 15222… or even closer, The Hive, a 600-space parking garage recently opened. For your GPS, use: 115 28th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
The Schedule:
Both Days … Oct. 19 & 20:
• All Day-Misty Lane Farms Horse Drawn Carriage Rides … the folks at Misty Lane Farms return to take you on an enchanting carriage ride … pulled by a team of magnificent Percheron horses. Come early, ride early as the rides are one of most popular attractions at the event!
• All Day-Champions Row at Hopper Park … these are the “fat boys” of the festival folks … the stars of our show, our 3 largest pumpkins of the festival basking in glory awaiting your gasps … each weighing over a ton!. . .including a massive, nearly 2,700+ pound Goliath of a gourd that will leave you speechless and the new PA state record pumpkin at 2,464 pounds.
• All Day-Carvers Court at Stacks Courtyard … see the nearly 30-foot long continual scene of circus artistry carefully and completely carved out of pumpkins by our master sculptors, plus painted pumpkins by our extremely talented graffiti muralists.
• All Day-Vessel Studio Glass at Stacks Courtyard … hand-blown glass demos and featured products by the artisans of Vessel Studio Glass as they showcase the timeless “free-blowing” technique and bring with them lots of colorful, handmade products to sell.
• All Day-Fall Festival Fantasia along Hopper Place behind Stacks Courtyard … all types of food, craft and charismatic festival vendors to fill your day and your appetite for Fall-like treats and eats.
• All Day-Point Park University Pumpkin Pull … test your pumpkin mettle as you attempt to pull a 1,000+ pound pumpkin … winner takes home nice prizes!
• All Day-Squash Sling … our newest, pumpkin-themed attraction…take your aim, pull back on the oversized rubber band…and let it fly…for one wild, slingshot sensation!
• All Day-Kids Pedal Tractor Pull at Hopper Park … fun for tykes as they pedal a replica farm tractor with a weighted sled … and get a tasty candy treat after they’re done.
Saturday Oct. 19 [times subject to change]:
• 8a.m.-LECOM Costume Caper 5K Family Fun Run/Walk…Pittsburgh’s cookiest 5K kicks things off…you can register right up to start time…everyone earns a finisher’s medal, cool tech t-shirt and special prizes for funniest, scariest and most original costumes!
• 11a.m. to 1:50p.m. and 3p.m. to4:50p.m.
—Punkin’ Pic Photo Spot … uniquely configured and staffed with “authentic
looking” characters. Featured on Saturday are: Rag Doll and Little Mermaid!
• Noon to 6p.m.-Color With Chrissy … the talented and tastefully creative Christine Patton brings her palette of incredible designs to add joy and surprise to the faces of everyone
• 2 p.m.-Point Park University Pumpkin Pool Drop … just look for the tall and large LOMMA Crane as we drop the first pumpkin in the pool for the day!
• 2:30 p.m.-Lovely Lady Lydia … from Iron City Aerial, and accenting our “Under the Big Top” theme, this talented “flow” artist brings a bit of circus magic to the courtyard.
• 3:30 p.m.-Pie-Eating Plunge at Hopper Place behind Stacks Courtyard … brave eaters take a shot at devouring a 9-inch pie the fastest … earning a “sweet prize” for the one who does.
• 4:30 p.m.-Lovely Lady Lydia … in her second performance of the day, this time it’s all about the fire–twirls, spins and lots of “flame” in this routine.
• 5 p.m.-WTAE Pumpkin Drop to Benefit Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh … our most anticipated drop and highlight of the festival, and rightfully so, as we help support this standout charity. Ping pong balls for grand prize sold all day on site. You can get one right up to when we pull the cord on a nearly 2,000 pound behemoth in one mighty splash to raise some cash.
Sunday Oct. 20 [times subject to change]:
• 11a.m. to 1:50p.m. and 3p.m. to4:50p.m.
—Punkin’ Pic Photo Spot … uniquely configured and staffed with “authentic
looking” characters. Featured on Sunday are: the two famous witches from Wizard of Oz: Glinda and Wicked Witch of the West!
• Noon to 6p.m.-Color With Chrissy … the talented and tastefully creative Christine Patton brings her palette of incredible designs to add joy and surprise to the faces of everyone
• 2 p.m.-LECOM Pumpkin Pool Drop 2 … again, just look for the tall and large LOMMA Crane as we drop the first pumpkin in the pool for the day!
• 2:30 p.m.-Lovely Lady Lydia … from Iron City Aerial, and accenting our “Under the Big Top” theme, this talented “flow” artist brings a bit of circus magic to the courtyard.
• 3:30 p.m.-Pumpkin Pig Out at Hopper Place behind Stacks Courtyard … we’re changing it up a little, replacing our famous pie-eating frenzy with a three item, pumpkin filled feast—ravioli, funnel cake, and gelato—the fastest eater earns a “sweet prize” for their glorious gluttony.
• 4:30 p.m.-Lovely Lady Lydia … in her second performance of the day, this time it’s all about the fire–twirls, spins and lots of “flame” in this routine.
• 5 p.m.-PGPGA Splash … Pumpkin drop for the Pennsylvania Giant Pumpkin Growers Association, our partners in performance and growers of most of the giants used at the festival
MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW ALONG FOR ALL THE FUN!
