by Nicole Crozier, Danforth Communications Committee

Blue turned out to be the pumpkin colour of choice by neighbourhood voters in the inaugural Danforth retailers’ pumpkin carving contest.

The bright blue, friendly-faced pumpkin created by the staff at Body Blue was the clear winner out of the 18 participants. The store chose The Hospital for Sick Children to receive their $100 prize.

Second place went to Peter Paul’s Flowers and their pumpkin adorned with a seasonal headdress.

People of all ages came on foot, by bicycle and in strollers to the Danforth Business Improvement Area’s fall Danforth Experience. Five dollars admission got you a welcome gift bag and into the tent decorated by It’s My Party with ghouls and darkened with camouflage netting.

The spooktacular tone was set with classic Halloween tunes like Thriller and Love Potion No. 9.  Guests mingled, voted for their favourite pumpkin and purchased and carved their own pumpkins under the direction of professional artists. The pumpkin treats prepared by local restaurants and food stores were big hits.

Dough Bakeshop’s pumpkin scones paired nicely with Globe’s chef Kevin McKenna’s pumpkin soup topped with roasted pumpkin seeds and sundried cherries. The Auld Spot Pub’s chef Josh Dalton and owner Nathan Hynes were on hand with pulled pork sliders dressed with pumpkin slaw and Dash Kitchen’s chef Andre Wikkerink served generous slices of moist and flavourful pumpkin bread. Antonio Chan, owner of the Second Cup chatted while offering hot, pumpkin lattes.

Food and competition aside, the 300 strong pumpkin patch gave Spooktacular guests and passersby the opportunity to purchase fresh-off-the-farm pumpkins for four dollars a piece. Many new pumpkin owners used the stencil found in their welcome bag and inspiration from professional artists on hand to carve and compare their pumpkins at the event.

Another successful Danforth Experience came to a close with the promise of more to come. Keep your eyes peeled for the next holiday event scheduled for Thursday November 25th starting at 6pm.

Learn how to carve your own perfect pumpkin with the instructions below! Pumpkin Carving Tips

• Find a pumpkin with a long, strong stem
• Hold the stem and carve a circle at the top of the pumpkin.  Carve at an angle so that the top doesn’t fall inside
• Scrape out the guts using a sharp knife and spoon

Pumpkin Design Tips

• Draw or print out a template of the image you would like to carve
• Pin the template to your pumpkin
• Use a straight pin and poke the outline of the image to create perforated shapes
• Remove the template and carve the shapes out using a sharp knife and/or wood carving tools