Above: Will you contribute to the lit display of creatively carved/decorated pumpkins this year? (images L-R cropped from Rotary photos from Facebook and contributed with credit to Ron Hereema)
Updated (10/10/2025 4:23 pm): Sunday’s event is cancelled due to the forecast. (Scroll down for details.)
In Southborough, we don’t wait until just before Halloween to start carving jack o’lanterns. The community’s big annual display, organized by the Southborough Rotary Club, takes place during the three day Columbus/Indigenous Peoples Day weekend.
For those of you who plan to take part, you might want to start thinking about how to decorate your gourds this year. Other readers will want to mark their calendars to check out the Pumpkin Stroll a week from Sunday.
The annual event is held the night before Heritage Day.
For those of you unfamiliar with the event, it’s a display of lit pumpkins that line the stone wall running around the Old Burial Ground. The lineup begins on Common Street next to the Southborough Library, runs up the hill, and around the corner on St. Mark’s Street.
Last year, Rotary encouraged:
The community is invited to walk past the lit display of silly, scary, grotesque, creative, and even beautiful carved gourds.
Every year, designs cover a range of traditional and clever contributions. Something always surprises me. Below are examples from each year the blog has covered the event.1 blah (For more great inspirations, check out the blog’s past photo galleries.)
This year’s details for the timing of the pumpkin drop-off and the walk haven’t been announced yet. (It appears that Rotary has scheduled a meeting for next week to finalize the details. I hope to be able to post those by Friday, October 10th.) But their event calendar confirms that the Stroll is scheduled for Sunday, October 12th.
Updated (10/3/25 12:40 pm): I was able to get confirmation of this year’s details:
If you are contributing to this year’s display, please drop off your carved or decorated pumpkins from 4:00 – 6:00 pm that afternoon – Sunday, October 12th. (If you want them back, make sure to fetch them by Monday morning.)
Strolling the lit display is from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. (It is typically busiest after dusk).
During the evening stroll, Rotary will have its usual table setup in front of the library. Rotary is hoping people will donate food or money to help the Southborough Food Pantry.
Even if you can’t donate, be sure to stop at the table! They’ll be offering free refreshments — cider, cookies (with nuts), and rice krispie squares (nut-free). They’ll also give away Halloween stickers, glow sticks, and bubble wands.
They also encourage attendees to return to table after their stroll to share a photo of themselves in front of their favorite pumpkin. You can also email your pics to them (rotarysouthborough@gmail.com). They’ll be posting photos on Facebook (and I’ll share my favorites from those.)
Updated (10/3/25 1:48 pm): If you haven’t bought your pumpkin(s) yet, and want to support Algonquin Regional High School’s sports program. . . ARHS Athletics is holding a Gonk Patch fundraiser. See details in flyer right.
Updated (10/10/25 5:11 pm): Rotary confirmed that they won’t be rescheduling the Pumpkin Stroll. But, based on past community reaction when the events were cancelled, the Library is considering putting on their own version later this month. So Stay tuned for news.
- The event couldn’t be held in 2020 (due to Covid), I missed getting pics of the 2016 event that Southborough Rec held after Rotary’s was rained out, and no photos were posted in 2010.
