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Hundreds of carved jack-o'-lanterns greeted visitors
YOUNGSTOWN
Hayden Glatz, 4, of Canfield likes the scary ones.
Henry Hecker, 18 months, of Manhattan, N.Y., darted from jack-o’-lantern to jack-o’-lantern shouting, “Pumpkin, pumpkin!”
Hayden – with her mother, Jessica Glatz, and grandmother, Janet Novotny, both of Canfield – and Henry, with his parents, Brian and Jill Hecker, formerly of Leetonia and Youngstown, respectively – were among the thousands of people who streamed into Mill Creek MetroParks Fellows Riverside Gardens on Sunday for the 12th annual Pumpkin Walk at Twilight.
The Pumpkin Walk is sponsored by the Friends of Fellows Riverside Gardens, who purchased 15,000 pounds of pumpkins – about 600 – that were carved Friday and Saturday in the park’s service building by kids and some adults, said Keith S. Kaiser, MetroParks horticulture director.
Volunteers lighted candles in the jack-o’-lanterns, which helped light the way along the sidewalks and trails of the gardens.
Roz Gadd of Girard was one of the cadre of volunteers who helped make the Pumpkin Walk happen as a garden guide.
A retired McDonald elementary schoolteacher, Gadd has volunteered for the event since its inception. She says she enjoys seeing the different ways a pumpkin can be decorated and seeing a lot of her former students there.
There were pumpkins carved with various noses in the shape of owls, one set on its side so the stem was its turned-up nose, one with the name Violet carved into it, and another with eyes shaped like hands.
Volunteer and master gardener Joanne DuVall of Boardman said she welcomes visitors and answers any questions they may have.
“I enjoy just meeting people and seeing how excited the children get. It’s a beautiful function,” she said.
Among the visitors were Justin and Ashley Griffin of Liberty, who used to come to Fellows when they were young. They brought their daughters, Lilly, 5, and Claire, 2.
The Pumpkin Walk at Twilight is an annual event for Marquis and Keta Atwood of Youngstown and their children, Mya, 14, and Thomas, 10.
“Fall is my favorite season. The air is crisp, and the kids enjoy it,” Keta said.
“People come from all over to the Pumpkin Walk at Twilight. It is a great, free community event,” Kaiser.