NICHES Land Trust is seeking Pumpkin Picassos and Gourd van Goghs to carve and donate jack-o-lanterns for our second annual Jack-o-Lantern Hike at Clegg Memorial Garden in Lafayette. This is a 100% community-sustained event that features almost a mile of locally carved squash art. Do you know a club, troop, or group looking for a fun way to contribute to a unique event? Have you been hiding your pumpkin carving skills from the world, just waiting for the right opportunity to unveil them? This is your chance! The math is simple, the more donated jack-o-lanterns we receive, the more we can pack the trail and the more memorable the event will be. Each hiker will have a chance to vote on their favorite pumpkin and the creator of the greatest gourd will win a prize. If you live in the greater Lafayette area and know anyone who might be interested in contributing their time and creativity to this year’s event, please spread the word!
The event will take place at:
Clegg Memorial Garden
1782 N 400 E, Lafayette, IN 47905
Friday, October 29th & Saturday, October 30th
Pre-Registration is REQUIRED
Enjoy a non-scary stroll along a path lit with Jack-O-Lanterns. The trail is a self-guided, ¾ mile-long loop on rugged terrain with steps and hills; please wear sturdy shoes and bring a handheld flashlight.
At the end of the hike, visitors will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite jack-o-lantern, the carver of the squash that receives the most votes will receive a prize!
Due to COVID-19 and limited parking, we will have groups of 12 hikers or less begin their hike every 15 minutes from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sorry, no public restrooms
To Register:
Email sam@nicheslandtrust.orgwith your name, phone number, the size of your group, and the day you want to attend. You will receive an email back with your group’s arrival time (7:oo, 7:15, 7:30. etc). If you need an earlier/later time for any reason, please indicate that in your email.
Please arrive on time so we can avoid too many people using the trail at one time and also to accommodate cars in our small parking lot.
To Donate a Jack-o-Lantern: Email sam@nicheslandtrust.org with the number of carved pumpkins you would like to donate. Then, please drop off your Jack-o-lanterns on the Clegg Memorial Garden porch on October 28th or 29th before noon. (Please carve your pumpkin as close to the drop-off date as possible! NICHES will be supplying the illumination). The winning carver will receive a gift membership to NICHES, a copy of Dan Child’s wildflower identification book “Into the Woods,” and our 25th-anniversary t-shirt featuring native wildflowers painted by local artist Zac Cody.
