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It’s that time of the year when we are getting ready to light up pumpkin lanterns for all to enjoy in the Garden! 

Once again we will be carving pumpkins with community groups, and this year we will also have a small number of sessions for other visitors to carve a pumpkin here for display in the Garden. You can also carve your own pumpkin at home for entry into our #dalstonpumpkins2023 competition and to be lit up here at night.

All of the pumpkin lanterns will be on show in the Rainbow House and around the Garden and you will be able to see them all lit up at night from Wednesday 25 – Tuesday 31 October. The display will grow as the week goes on. We can’t say how big or small it will be, it all depends on how many pumpkin carvers get involved! Last year we were thrilled to have over 80 pumpkins entered into our competition and the atmosphere they created when they were all glowing in the dark was truly special. 

Our small team is very busy right now planning for pumpkin lanterns, which means we are unable to respond to individual enquiries. However rest assured there will be pumpkin lantern magic in abundance at the Garden at the end of October, so do watch out for more details coming soon. 

Saturday 25 February 12.30-1.30pm and 3-4pm

If you’ve recently walked along Dalston Lane, or passed by on the bus, you may have noticed a number of photographic portraits, located high up on the wall immediately outside the Garden and in the windows of a number of nearby shops, venues and community organisations. They are all part of the ‘Tuesdays at Dalston Curve Garden’ exhibition, which shines a light on a very special group of people. 

The portraits are by photographers Sandra Keating and Erola Arcalís who have been documenting this group since 2020 and the exhibition has been curated by the Garden’s team, in consultation with the members of the group.

The Tuesday group grew out of the programme of daily community mornings set up by the Garden in 2020, to counter the social isolation caused by the pandemic restrictions. The silver lining from what was a terrible time for so many people, has been the emergence of this amazing group of people. In the beginning, the only thing we knew that these individuals had in common was that they were all aged over 50 and that many of them lived alone. Since then the group have shared laughter, tears and joy, good moods and bad moods, and life stories. Now over 100 people regularly come together, all year round, to experience the tranquillity of the Garden, to take part in creative activities, to enjoy nutritious food, and most of all to build friendships. 

This Saturday 25 February we will be celebrating the launch of the ‘Tuesdays at Dalston Curve Garden’ exhibition, with two free events. Erola Arcalís will describe her experience and thoughts about taking these photographic portraits and members of the Garden’s ‘Tuesdays’ creative team will talk about the story of the group. There will be lots of time for questions.  

The talks will begin just outside the Garden, in front of the portrait wall, opposite the Hackney Peace Carnival Mural before moving inside to the Garden’s Pineapple House. 

Places for each talk are free but limited, so booking is essential. You can book via the links below:

Saturday 25 February, 12.30-1.30pm: Book Here

Saturday 25 February, 3-4pm: Book Here

The ‘Tuesdays at Dalston Curve Garden’ exhibition and talks have been supported by Hackney Council’s Hackney High Street Fund.