Bring your pumpkins to be composted and stay for the fun! This family-friendly, free event will feature a pumpkin toss and lawn games, including pumpkin bowling, spooky ring toss, pumpkin bean bag toss and gourd tic tac toe. Earn raffle tickets for chances to win prizes that will help your family cut household waste. Our team will also conduct demonstrations to share tips about backyard composting. 

Last year our community diverted over 4,000 lbs of pumpkins from the waste stream. We hope to collect even more pumpkins for composting and further raise awareness about food waste in our community.

Generously sponsored by Curbside Compost. To learn more about their residential and commercial solutions, click here.

Pumpkin drop off is rain or shine. Lawn games are weather dependent.

Guests may register in advance below or at the welcome tent.

What Is Acceptable? 
Jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins and gourds only. No other food scraps or other organic material will be accepted at the event. No paint, glitter, googly eyes or candles. These items will contaminate the compost during processing. 

Don't trash them! 
If you can't join The Great Pumpkin Rescue, bring your pumpkins and gourds for composting to the designated drop area near the yard waste section at the the Holly Hill Resource Recovery Facility during hours of operation. Alternatively, remove the seeds and place them in backyard compost. They can also be left in your yard for animals to enjoy! Please do not place pumpkins on the streets - only leaves should be collected with the Town's Leaf Collection Program.

Scary Facts About Pumpkins
More than 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins are sent to incinerators & landfills annually in the U.S. Diverting this material from incinerators cuts the pollution generated by burning waste that negatively impacts public health. When left to decompose in a landfill, that food waste produces methane gas, a greenhouse gas that’s far more potent than carbon dioxide.

Pumpkins and gourds are 90% water and are full of nutrients. Composting this organic material captures these nutrients and water, creating a soil amendment to benefit our parks, gardens and farms.