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Pumpkin Smash 2019: A Smashing Success!

For information on our 2020 Pumpkin Smash event, click here.

On Saturday, November 2, Hudson River Park’s Community Compost Program hosted the second annual Pumpkin Smash at HRPK’s Chelsea Waterside Park! This year’s event smashed our records…and HRPK’s carbon footprint. 1,200 Park lovers joined us to bat, hammer and squash more than 2,000 pounds of pumpkins — more than doubling last year’s totals! Our Community Compost Program will turn these pumpkins into nutrient-rich compost for the Park’s plant beds, helping us grow a greener HRPK.

Two friends use bats and hammers to smash the pumpkins to be turned into compost

Did you know that organic waste accounts for a third of all NYC garbage? So far in 2019, HRPK has composted over 67,000 pounds of food scraps collected by our Community Compost Program, diverting this waste from landfills. Like all food scraps we compost, the 2,000+ pounds smashed at Saturday’s celebration will help sustain plant beds in the Park to help keep our soils full of nutrients through the winter.

Friends have face paint of skulls and flames on their cheeks

When not smashing pumpkins, guests enjoyed games, crafts, seasonal snacks and refreshments, and face painting by Silly Cheeks. This year’s festival also featured kid-friendly special performances from Hudson RiverKids Favorite, Story Pirates, and interactive magician, Seth Dale.

Thanks to all who joined us to make this year’s event a smashing success!