Article and photographs by Paul Domboski
Just about every artist would call the Pumpkin Carve fun and that clearly translates to the finished product. Some artists who returned from last year reported that not only did they have a great time, they were inspired to up their game for this year. Family fun was a recurring theme as well; there’s a pumpkin for everyone in the family.
Artists started in the morning and had until about dark to create, cut, and carve their colossal pumpkin. Some artists planned for weeks, some for days, and some made adjustments on the fly. Some pumpkins were carved, some were painted, some were decorated, but all were amazing! A list of winners is below.
The 2021 winners are:
Best of Pop Culture: “Baby Yoda” by Matt Derby
Most Humorous: “Last Dance” by Sarah Bernotas
Best Surface Carving: “Late Night Escape” by Daniel Clark
Best 3-D Carving: “Owl Be Hanging with the Family”
Most Creative Use of Materials: “Under the Sea” by Danielle Deering & Molly Revie
Best Action: “Final Strike” by Jennifer Stevens & Annette Vilagos
Scariest: “Doom” by Johnathan Connor
Best Overall Design: “Calaveras” by Joyce Vollmer
Best Tent Decor: “Weather Matters” by Anne Nixon Ellery
Honorable Mention: “Toothless” by Lori Johansson
Honorable Mention: “Spirit of Halloween” by Eric Schultz
Honorable Mention: “Bearly Alive” by Poppy Sangthong & Peter Buruschkin
Honorable Mention: “The Dark Side of Mr. Hyde” by Kathleen Sheehan & Dave Howard
Honorable Mention: “Sluurp!” by Barbara DiLorenzo & Jonathan Fisk
Honorable Mention: “Pennywise” by Charlie Yeh
The Hopewell Valley Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Ticket proceeds from this event go toward artist-carvers’ honoraria as well as to fund other Hopewell Valley Arts Council arts-related programs.
