October half term is one of our favourite times of the year, packed with pumpkin-filled fun. This autumn, we had the pleasure of heading over to one of our local towns, Ilkley after Ilkley BID got in touch, asking us to bring a hands-on pumpkin experience to the town centre for local families to enjoy.
The plan for the day’s event: a pop-up pumpkin patch, interactive family carving workshops, a photo op peep-board, and a show-stopping live pumpkin sculpture.
Setting Up at Canker Well Gardens
Tucked just off The Grove, near local coffee spots and the iconic Betty’s Cafe Tea Rooms, Canker Well Gardens provided the perfect backdrop. Surrounded by mature trees and autumn foliage, Jocasta transformed the secluded garden into an enchanting pumpkin patch filled with gourds kindly donated by Booths and Tesco. The selection had everything from manageable, kid-friendly supermarket sizes to truly gargantuan beasts waiting for carvers with brave imaginations and strong arms.
Families were able to wander into the patch, pop their heads through our Halloween-themed photo board for a snapshot, and pick out their very own pumpkin for free before heading over to the carving tables.
As is customary for autumn in Yorkshire, the weather decided to test us with a steady downpour of classic drizzle. Thankfully, the fantastic team from Ilkley BID had thought of everything and brought extra gazebos to pitch over the workshop tables. Sheltered, dry, and kept going by hot drinks from our neighbours nearby (a big shout-out to The Green Room for keeping our team fuelled up!), the damp weather didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits for a second.
Creative Workshops and Multi-Tonal Carving
The carving workshops were bustling from start to finish. Peter and Jocasta were stationed at the tables guiding families through their designs, joined by Jack, a brilliant volunteer connected with Ilkley BID who jumped straight into the thick of it. He was an absolute star with the kids and proved to be a natural pumpkin carver.
Rather than sticking purely to traditional triangular eyes and jagged grins, our team showed participants how to bring their pumpkins to life with depth. Together, we worked on everything from spooky ghouls and video game characters to creepy-crawlies and cuddly bears. The team demonstrated how shaving and peeling away layers of rind—rather than simply cutting straight through, creates translucent, multi-tonal highlights that add incredible detail to any face or scene.
The feedback across the afternoon was heartwarming. Families loved having a free, creative activity to dive into together, with multiple people asking whether it could become an annual half-term fixture.
Dave’s Frankenstein Live Carve
While the workshops were in full swing, Dave set to work on a massive pumpkin for the day’s live carve. He spent hours meticulously sculpting the angular brow, sunken eyes, heavy neck bolts, and textured skin of Frankenstein’s monster.
The piece drew a steady crowd of curious onlookers stopping on their way past the gardens to watch the monster emerge stroke by stroke. Dave’s Frankenstein even caught the attention of the regional press, landing features The Ilkley Gazette and Your Ilkley celebrating the town’s half-term activity as a roaring success.
A massive thank you to Ilkley BID for inviting us, to our super-volunteer Jack, and to every family who braved the rain to carve with us. Ilkley is a welcoming, vibrant town, and we loved every minute of working with the local community. We certainly hope to be back with our tools in hand again soon!
