Hilltown Families 
Pumpkins: History, Culture, and Community Celebration
Pumpkins: History, Culture, and Community Celebration
Called “pompions” by the first European colonists, pumpkins were a food essential to winter survival – and they were grown in many more varieties than they typically are today. The custom of carving pumpkins into Jack O’Lanterns was introduced to American culture by Irish immigrants, influencing our cultural landscape to this day. Traditionally carved from root vegetables, including turnips and potatoes, new hybrids of pumpkins are grown specifically for carving.
Annual October events that bring communities together through the lens of food (pumpkins) and culture (Halloween). Check our list of Weekly Suggested Events and our Facebook page for community-based educational opportunities coming up this season and mark your calendars for these annual events:
- Great Falls Festival in Turners Falls
- Pumpkin Festival in Florence
- Pumpkin Walk-About in Stockbridge
- Pumpkin Walk in Washington
- Harvest Moon Pumpkin Festival in Hadley
- Easthampton Harvest Festival in Easthampton
- Great Pumpkin Roll in Westhampton
Excerpt from Learning Ahead: Cultural Itinerary for Western Massachusetts (Seasons: Sept/Oct), a downloadable bimonthly publication produced by Hilltown Families that sheds light on embedded learning opportunities found in cultural resources that exist within the geography, history, and cultural traditions of Western Massachusetts.
