Rockford’s Anderson Japanese Garden hosts fifth annual ‘Path of Pumpkins’ event

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The Anderson Japanese Garden is hosting its fifth annual ‘Path of Pumpkins’ event, featuring creative pumpkin displays from twelve participating schools.

The event, which has become a community favorite, invites local schools to carve and decorate pumpkins, with each school contributing between 8 and 15 pumpkins. This year, twelve schools are participating, including one new addition to the lineup.

“It’s not only a cool festive display for people to come and see carved and decorated pumpkins, but it also acts as a community experience,” said John Gleason, CEO of Anderson Japanese Gardens.

The ‘Path of Pumpkins’ event serves as a bridge for students, some of whom have never visited the garden before, providing them with an opportunity to engage with the garden and showcase their artistic talents.

Participating schools receive reimbursement for pumpkin purchases, and students can visit the garden to see their creations on display. Each school has the chance to win cash prizes, which can be used for their art programs.

Visitors to the garden can vote for their favorite pumpkin displays. Voting is available both in-person, with ballots provided upon admission, and online through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

The ‘Path of Pumpkins’ event not only brings festive cheer to the community but also fosters a connection between local schools and the Andersen Japanese Garden, enriching the cultural and educational experiences of participating students.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WTVO. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WTVO staff before being published.