It’s a great success.
That’s how someone might describe the two fun post-Halloween events happening later this week in Lexington and Newton.
The city of Newton will hold its fourth annual “Pumpkin Smash” in front of City Hall on Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the city of Lexington will hold its fourth annual “Pumpkin Smash” the day before on Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Lincoln Park. The second “Pumpkin Smash” will be held.
According to Lexington Sustainability Director Maggie Peard, Pumpkin Smash helps remove Halloween pumpkins in a safe and sustainable way, helping reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions. .
And they’re the best.
“Pumpkin smash events also help bring beneficial nutrients to the soil,” Peard told Wicked Local.
Peard told the children — And anyone else who wants to join — will crush used Halloween pumpkins during the event, and Black Earth Compost will provide a truck for people to dump the debris.
“We want to compost these pumpkins and keep them out of landfills,” Peard said, noting that the state plans to close its landfills by the end of this decade. “Massachusetts and other states generate too much waste, and by sending it to landfills, we increase greenhouse gas emissions and negatively contribute to climate change. We are contributing. The real goal of this event is to increase waste output. Which pumpkins are composted?”
Peard said pumpkin smashes are a “win-win” for the community, which is why more communities are participating in these types of events.
Take Newton for example. Newton was the first municipality in Massachusetts to host a pumpkin smash event, said Waneta Trabert, director of the city’s Sustainable Materials Management Department.
“We held our first event in 2019, but then the pandemic hit, so it was canceled for a while,” Trabert told Wicked Local. She said she heard about a Pumpkin Smash being held in an Illinois town in 2019. She called town officials and immediately brought the idea to Newton.
“It definitely seems like more towns are catching on,” Trabert said. “This is a really feel-good event. For some reason, people prefer to crush their pumpkins rather than just throw them away.”
In addition to pumpkin grinding, information on food waste management and composting will be distributed at Saturday’s event in Newton. There will also be a visit from a food truck and a hands-on experience with the truck. The city is also encouraging participants to donate leftover candy and unwanted costumes.
Trabert said there are many ways to crush a pumpkin, including simply throwing it on the ground. However, the site will also have a pumpkin catapult and a board with a wooden tip perfect for shredding pumpkins.
She said students from the Newton Robotics team built a pumpkin-cracking robot that will be brought to the event.
“Waste capacity is a huge issue in Massachusetts,” Peard said. “A third of our trash is food waste. So this event is not only fun, but also a great way to educate the public on the importance of composting. In fact, the downside is… there is no.”
Other pumpkin smashes:
Beverly: Sunday, noon to 3 p.m., 733 Cabot St.
BOSTON: The Delta Sigma Pi fraternity at Boston University Massachusetts will host a Pumpkin Smash today in the amphitheater in front of the school’s science complex from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Bedford: Saturday from 2pm to 4pm in the John Glenn Middle School parking lot, 99 McMahon Road.
BOSTON: Mother’s Out Front Pumpkin Smash will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the English High School outdoor track, 144 McBride Street, Jamaica Plain.
Natick: Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. at Memorial School, 107 Elliott Street.