PUMPKIN CARVING CONTEST 2025

PUMPKIN CARVING CONTEST 2025

We had so much fun with last year's pumpkin carving contest to celebrate turtle season winding down, we decided to host another one this Halloween. So, calling all pumpkin carving enthusiasts!  Join in the fun of our eco-friendly Halloween Contest! 

This Halloween, we’re not just carving pumpkins; we’re carving out a new level of fun and creativity with our Pumpkin Carving Contest. We’re celebrating your unique ideas and the sustainability of our planet, and we can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Why pumpkins? They’re the ultimate zero-waste Halloween decoration! Fully biodegradable, they offer endless possibilities:

Upholding a long-time holiday tradition.

Cook the flesh for delicious pies, soups, or bread.

Roast the seeds for a healthy snack.

Make pumpkin butter or hot sauce.

Pickle the rinds.

Compost the leftovers to enrich your garden

Re-purpose the pumpkin as a planter to hold a potted plant for a festive fall display.

Save the seeds to plant for next year's harvest. 

It’s simple, carve your scariest, cutest, funniest, or most unique pumpkin and send us a photo. You’ll be in the running for fabulous prizes, plus you’ll earn bragging rights as the ultimate pumpkin carving champ!

Need inspiration? Just Google pumpkin carving designs, and get ready to create!

Prizes for the judge’s favorite carved pumpkins will be awarded in the following categories and age divisions.

Pumpkin Carving Categories

Turtle Themed

Any Theme

Age Divisions

12 and under

13-17

18+

Prizes await the best designs, so don’t miss out. Send your photos, have fun, and help us make Halloween a little greener this year.

By participating in our pumpkin carving contest, you’re not just showcasing your creativity but also contributing to an environmentally conscious way of celebrating the season. Let your designs flow whether they’re spooky, cute, funny, turtle-themed (hint, hint, nudge, nudge), or unique have a blast showing off your creative flair while staying green.

Carving time is key. It is recommended that if you want a perfect pumpkin for Halloween night, you should  carve it just a few days before, clean it well, keep it cool and dry. Additionally, limit how often it’s lit until Halloween night to help it stay fresh.

Keeping it green and turtley fun this Halloween! Happy carving!

CONTEST DETAILS & RULES

1 – Contest Eligibility: A pumpkin (of any size/variety/color) must be the central component of your entry. The contest is open to adults and youth of all ages residing in Ontario. There is no entry fee or purchase required. The contest is for carved pumpkins only. One contest entry per person.

The contest’s sponsors, directors, officers, suppliers, agents, administrators, its advertising or promotional agencies, and any member of their respective immediate families or households are ineligible to enter.

2 – Contest Categories: The selected favorite pumpkin carving in each category and age division will receive a prize valued at $25 (one prize per category). Six prizes will be awarded. If no entries are received in a particular category and age division, it will be scratched.

The pumpkin carving categories include: Turtle Theme or Any Theme

The age divisions include: 12 and under, 13-17 and 18+

3 – How to Enter: Please send a photo of the carved pumpkin you or the youth you are submitting the entry for to Think Turtle Conservation Initiative via e-mail at thinkturtle@yahoo.com. Send us your best photo of the carved pumpkin with or without light inside. Include your name, contest category, age division, and location with your contest submission. Note: Contest entrants under 18 will require a parent or guardian to submit their carved pumpkin entry on their behalf. Note: All contact information sent to Think Turtle by contest participants will be kept private and not shared.

4 – Contest Entry Deadline: Think Turtle must receive the photo by Sunday, November 2, 11:59 PM. Photos obtained by the deadline will be eligible for the judge’s consideration when selecting their favorite carved pumpkins. Photos sent will be featured in a tribute post shared via the Think Turtle Conservation Initiative Facebook group.

5 – Judging: Three judges, not directly affiliated with Think Turtle Conservation Initiative, will decide on the carved pumpkin contest winners.

6 – Prizes: Each prize winner will have a choice of a $25 gift certificate for the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC) shop, with many great items to choose from or a $25 Amazon gift certificate or a Think Turtle conservation t-shirt, and automatic bragging rights for being selected as a pumpkin carving champ. Each prize winner chosen must answer an age-appropriate skill testing question. Don’t sweat this even for a second, easey peasey, promise. Each gift card or t-shirt will be mailed, or if in Bancroft, pick-up or drop-off can be arranged by Think Turtle Conservation Initiative.

7 – Contest Results: The selected prize winners for each pumpkin carving category and age division will be posted on Facebook on Tuesday, November 4.

OFFICIAL NOTES

This contest is in accordance with the Competition Bureau Canada, Promotional Contests Section 74.06 of the Competition Act, Enforcement guidelines, October 16, 2009.

Approximate Prize Value: $25 x 6

Regional Allocation: Ontario

Chances of Winning: This depends on the number of contest entries received.

Series of Prizes: N/A, Early Bird Prizes: N/A, Disclosure at Point of Sale: N/A

Note: This contest is hosted by Think Turtle Conservation Initiative and is not sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with Facebook.

Please share this post with family, friends, and associates and ask them to do the same. To the adults and youth planning to participate, thank you for indulging in a bit of end-of-turtle season shellabration. We look forward to seeing your pumpkin carvings.

We wish one and all a Happy Halloween! Please be safe!