Halloween Events and Pumpkin Waste Across North America

Halloween events and fall activities are underway across North America, including Toronto’s Church-Wellesley six-block street festival with drag performances, local events in Tennessee and Ohio, pumpkin farms and festivals, and Wild Adventures’ Great Pumpkin LumiNights. Athens, Tennessee’s Pumpkintown was rescheduled to Oct. 24, the same day as its Fright Fest, with nearby street closures and detours planned; Ohio’s Circleville Pumpkin Show is scheduled for Oct. 21–24, with a preview night Oct. 20. The season also brings a significant food-waste issue: an estimated more than one billion pounds of U.S. pumpkins are discarded after Halloween annually, contributing to landfill methane emissions. Pumpkin seeds are generally usable, sound flesh may be edible depending on handling, and unwanted pumpkins can be composted or diverted to farms.