Winners of 2023 pumpkin painting contest. Photos/Moorhead Parks and Recreation.
Young artists, polish up your pumpkins! Moorhead Parks and Recreation is inviting pumpkin painters to submit their most ghoulish creations in coming days for its Pumpkin Party contest. The top ghoulish entries will be announced on Halloween.
As dusk nears that day, boys and girls can collect tasty treats at the department’s annual Monster Mash Trunk-or-Treat. This year, the city’s best option for collecting Halloween goodies takes over Southside Regional Park, 2000 40th Ave. S., from 5 to 7 p.m.
The annual decorating contest pits the creative talents of youngsters 12 or younger in a competition for three elite prizes – “boo baskets,” says recreation director Marybeth Suplee, “filled with a selection of fun Halloween and autumn-themed activities and trinkets.”
Five hundred children lined up last Thursday at Viking Ship Park to pick up free pumpkins and paint kits — double the number of orange gourds given away in 2023. Photos of the finished artistic interpretations have already begun arriving in Park and Rec’s email, Suplee says. But it’s not too late for those who missed the freebies to get in on the competition … using their own pumpkins and paints.
To enter the contest, parents must submit a photograph of each child and their entry, rather than submitting the whole embellished squash. Photos can be emailed to parkandrec@moorheadmn.gov. Each picture should include the artist in his or her Halloween costume holding the finished masterpiece. Three winners will be announced on Halloween.
According to Suplee, 1,000 kids and a total of nearly 2,500 attendees enjoyed the Monster Mash in its final year beside the Center Mall. About 100 businesses and organization brought decorated vehicles and, sometimes, costumed candy-hander-outer. A photo station and other activities are also planned. There is no charge for participating.
There’s still time for businesses, groups and individuals to join the evening’s fun. For more information, contact Suplee at 218.299.5078 or marybeth.suplee@moorheadmn.gov. To register, go to cityofmoorhead.com/departments/parks-recreation/special-events.
