Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail: Celebrating Cinema Through Pumpkin Art
This year’s Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail was nothing short of cinematic! Over the weekend, our picturesque town was transformed into a vibrant celebration of film history, inspired by our very own iconic Hebden Bridge Picture House, with 12 movie-themed pumpkin scenes spread around Hebden Bridge, each shining a light on iconic moments from the world of cinema.
The Pumpkin at the Pictures, pumpkin scenes creatively carved by the team here at Sand In Your Eye, brought to life some of the most famous films from across the decades. From black-and-white classics like Charlie Chaplin to modern blockbusters Barbie and Harry Potter, the pumpkins reflected the history of film in creative and surprising ways.
Visitors enjoyed timeless movie moments of the Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins to fantastical recreations of favorite characters, like Slimer from Ghostbusters, Paddington Bear, and Superman making the trail an unforgettable journey through cinema.
Highlights of the Trail
One of the standout features of the event was the live pumpkin carve in the center of town. This year, we took a trip to a galaxy far, far away with a Star Wars-themed live carve featuring none other than Yoda. Crowds gathered to watch as this iconic character was carved from an enormous pumpkin, capturing the attention of families and fans alike.
In addition to the Star Wars centerpiece, the trail offered a series of workshops for participants of all ages:
• Light Art Workshop: Held in the Town Hall, this Harry Potter inspired workshop allowed participants to use light wands to create stunning visual art, adding a spell bound glow to the magical atmosphere.
• Green Screen Fun: Also at the Town Hall, this digital workshop gave attendees the chance to take flight like Superman using green screen technology.
• Pumpkin Carving Workshops: In the park, people of all ages took part in hands-on pumpkin carving workshops, where they could create their own pumpkin masterpieces. The Hebden Bridge Rotary Club generously donated over 400 pumpkins for the workshops, ensuring there were plenty to go around.
Community Collaboration
The Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail was funded and supported Hebden Royd Town Council. Ebony at the town council, worked tirelessly with the team here helping to ensure that the event was a huge success. The volunteers and pumpkins donated from the Hebden Rotary club played a huge part in the success of the pumpkin carving workshops. We were thrilled that even in the rain visitors took the opportunity to get messy creating their pumpkin pals to take home with them. Their dedication, along with the help of volunteers from Friends of the Picture House and business sponsorship of one of the scenes from Wood and Wire, ensured that the trail was a fantastic experience for everyone involved.
We had a blast working alongside the Bubble Witch performer, *** Brass band and *** from who had a very busy Slime Making workshop set up along side the ghost Busters pumpkin scene.
Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the event. The Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail has continued to grow over the years, and we are so proud to be able to work with Hebden Royd Town Council for the last 8 years, bringing this fantastic event to the local community.
Were you one of the many who enjoyed the Pumpkin Trail? The Town Council would love to hear from you! Your feedback is invaluable and helps us make next year’s event even better. Please take a moment to share your thoughts by following this link below –
Leave Your Feedback!
Hebden Bridge Picture House itself took part in the seasonal action by screening Nosferatu (with live re-score by Sprechen Music): www.hbph.co.uk to keep up to date with other fantastic events and special showings in the future.
Over the trail weekend there were opportunities to learn about the history of the Hebden Bridge Picture House cinema, in response to a recent community consultation concerning the introduction of a second screen to the cinema to ensure this not-for-profit community facility has a prosperous future. For more on Hebden Bridge Picture House and the Screen Two project see: www.hebdenbridgepicturehouse.co.uk/screen2
See www.hebdenbridgepumpkintrail.co.uk for event info including the info boards displayed around the trail, and follow @HebdenBridgePumpkinTrail on Facebook for future updates.
Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail is presented by Hebden Royd Town Council, created by Sand In Your Eye and supported by the Picture House, Friends of the Picture House and the Rotary Club of Hebden Bridge.
