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Dalston Pumpkin Lantern Festival 2018

It’s time for our annual Dalston Pumpkin Lantern Festival! Once again we are inviting children, young people and adults to help transform hundreds of pumpkins into weird and wonderful creations to be all lit up together throughout the Garden every night. Last year we had over 700 pumpkin lanterns filling every corner of the Garden and it really was spectacular!

Free pumpkin carving sessions will take place on Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 October.

Everyone is welcome to carve a pumpkin – adults, young people and children (as long as they are accompanied by an adult).

Here are some of the things you need to know to help plan your visit on the carving weekend.

It’s free to take part in the carving sessions, but we do ask for donations to cover the cost of the pumpkins which we source from a farmer.

Pumpkin carving sessions take place on:
Saturday 20 October, 12 noon – 5pm (the final carving sessions start at 4.30pm)
Sunday 21 October, 12 noon – 4pm (the final carving sessions start at 3pm)

All of the carved pumpkins stay in the Garden to come alive every night when they are all lit up throughout the Garden for the Lantern light-ups!

Adults, children and young people who carve a pumpkin over the weekend will be given a ticket for the first Lantern light-up, on Sunday 21 October, 6-8pm before it opens to everyone else.

Our hard-working team of volunteers are happy to work with younger children to help them create their lanterns, and anyone else who needs assistance with carving, but we ask that parents and carers stay at the carving table with their children. Children must be accompanied by parents or carers at all times.

This year once again we will have Pumpkin lantern light-ups all week from the evening of Sunday 21 to Sunday 28 October.