Fall Family Festival and Pumpkin Carving

Our family’s fall festival has been a cherished event that we’ve celebrated for years. There is always that realization that something wonderful is about to happen as afternoon light turns golden, we gather pumpkins, and cool breezes make us reach for our favorite comforter on the bed and our warm fuzzy blanket on the couch. 

For us, picking out pumpkins is always something we look forward to, getting our family to join the search for that just right one to carve and make our own. We weave among rows of orange pumpkins, stopping to look at ginormous ones, so large we can hardly imagine carrying it to the car. Some of us want tall pumpkins, others a small, round one that is easy to carve. As we make way around the pumpkins, the ground rustles beneath our shoes, and the crisp air carries the earthy scent of the patch. Our delight at having snagged our pumpkin turns an ordinary seasonal outing into a forever memory.

We plan the menu, sending out the invitation by text, and finally, our fall festival day is here as friends and family arrive carrying covered dishes, all of us eager to see what’s for dinner. There are hugs along the breezeway, as voices call across the yard, and the happy bustle of making room for one more person commences. Gathering in the fall gives everyone a reason to pause, leave ordinary responsibilities behind for a bit, and enjoy being together. The decorations make the setting beautiful, letting us celebrate the warmth and happiness as every arrival adds to our contentment and pleasure.

There’s a special treats table with eyeball cupcakes, candy for decorating cookies or Rice Crispy treats, and caramel apples we made.

Our special dinner becomes the center of festivities, drawing everyone to tables lit with purple and orange twinkle lights and votive candles quivering in night air. Our main dishes this year are Tex Mex favorites, fajitas, bean and beef burritos, tacos, corn and flour tortillas, chili con queso, guacamole and salsa fills the air with the delicious aroma of a meal worth lingering over. Autumn leaves and softly glowing candles dress the table, as someone asks for a recipe, someone wants to know who first made a favorite dish, and we all listen as family stories find their way into conversation. There is pleasure in serving food that we adore and in seeing everyone reach for a second helping. Around that table we give thanks with gratitude for our blessings and our time together.

After dinner, everyone grabs something sweet, a Rice Crispy Treat that has extra butter and marshmallows, a sugar cookie, hand-dipped strawberries, or Graham Crackers dipped in milk and white chocolate and sprinkled with sea-salt.

Pumpkin carving fills the tables as plastic liner goes down and everyone scoops out seeds, and lively discussion about possible faces. Magic markers draw designs, and templates from books guide some, as sharp carving tools bring each idea to life.

Some have wide smiles, lopsided eyes, surprised mouths, and there’s always at least one pumpkin that looks very different from the original plan. Everyone has advice, and the imperfections often bring the most laughter.

Family members help kids, as siblings and cousins lean over one another’s shoulders to admire the results. When the finished pumpkins are set together and small votives begin to glow inside them, each holds its maker’s personality.

As evening settles over the yard, making s’mores gives us a reason to gather close to the fire. Chairs are pulled in a comfortable circle, blankets are spread across laps, as the sea and tide gurgle and woosh around us against the crisp autumn air. 

Someone loads up wooden-handled spikes with marshmallows, slowly turning them above the coals until they turn golden, or catch on fire, as mine often do! Stacks of Graham crackers wait beside chocolate squares, ready for melty marshmallows and chocolate to merge into a wonderfully messy treat. Sticky fingers, chocolate-smudged faces, and discussions on the perfectly marshmallow toasting add to the fun. As firelight glows, we linger, comfortable and happy to enjoy company and watch the sparks rise, sharing ourselves with those we love, and to listen and watch nature unfold before us.

The most meaningful moments come when activities slow and everyone simply sits, visiting in the cool night air. We catch up, no hurried phone calls or work to stop us, as stories and conversations give us pleasure; gathering like this belongs to each of us, whether helping clear the table, tending the fire, or sharing a blanket. Long after the pumpkins have faded and the tables cleaned from pumpkin goo, we savor those very special moments with our friends and family that remain as we anticipate next year, returning each fall with eagerness and joy. Have yourself a glorious fall and winter gathering, Thanksgiving is less than a month away!

Fall Family Festival and Pumpkin Carving