By Brittany Lauro –
Newport unveiled its true Halloween spirit on Saturday, Oct. 15, with Ballard Park’s 9th annual Pumpkin Tour. The tour featured a display of over one thousand ingeniously carved jack-o-lanterns lined along Ballard Park, through the brush and even in the trees. The tour took approximately thirty minutes to complete and brought nothing but dropped jaws and smiles for the whole family. The question is, who carved all the pumpkins?
Media Credit: MCT Campus
The event is hosted yearly by the Friends of Ballard Park, a non-profit group formed in 1996. The organization works in accordance with the City of Newport in efforts to maintain trails and keep the park tidy. The group is also rather well known for their multiple educational programs and family-oriented activities. Such events are continually transforming the park from an unfavorable dwelling known for underage drinking parties to a domicile of tradition and even adventure. In essence, the group claims that its overall goals are to “ensure Ballard Park remains a wild and natural open space for future generations.”
Colleen Quinn, member of the Friends of Ballard Park Board, informed us that local community groups generously carve and donate the pumpkins each year. Furthermore, members of the public are invited to participate in this festive event by purchasing their own display areas. Areas cost approximately $75 and are generally instructed to consist of 20 pumpkins. At the end of the event, donations go to Friends of Ballard Park in order to keep up with the preservation and maintenance of Newport’s only nature preserve.
Just two hours after the start of the event, a total of over 1,500 people hade already made their way through the park. Kelly Kern, Salve Regina student and Pumpkin Tour volunteer, explained, “We’ve been here since 9:30 this morning setting the pumpkins up and making them pretty for display. People started showing up around 4:30 and [at 6:30] we have a total of 1,622 guests.”
Carvers for the Pumpkin tour featured local groups such as Rogers High School, Newport Fire Department, and even Salve’s own Art Guild. Salve’s display area was full of Halloween spirit as it featured multiple carvings of Halloween adornments, and even the SRU Seahawk.
The season of jack-o-lanterns is officially here. What will you carve?
