Pumpkin Smash

Smash Your Pumpkins—And Help the Planet While You’re At It

Let’s be honest—there’s no good reason to send your old pumpkins to the landfill when you can SMASH them instead.

I’m thrilled to invite you to our Pumpkin Smash event on Saturday, November 8 from 10 AM to 12 PM at Memorial Park Field House. It’s part of a larger effort across Illinois to divert Halloween pumpkins from landfills and turn them into compost instead.

Every fall, thousands of pumpkins end up as waste, releasing methane gas as they decompose. With Pumpkin Smash, we’re offering a sustainable, fun, and FREE alternative. Bring your carved, painted, or whole pumpkins and head over to our smashing stations where you and your kids can take turns giving them a proper (and hilarious) sendoff.

Whether you smash it with a bat, drop it from a height, or hurl it across the yard, we guarantee a good time—and an environmentally friendly outcome.

Best of all, we handle all the cleanup and composting. You just bring the pumpkins and your smashing spirit.

Events like this are what make Blue Island so special: fun with purpose, community with creativity, and always a bit of energy to spare. I hope to see your family there—laughing, learning, and smashing for a cause.

—Ted Ruthenberg
Executive Director, Blue Island Park District