One of my favorite events of the entire Webster year, Pumpkins on Parade, is returning to the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr., on Saturday Oct. 24 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
This is a super fun and totally free family event where participants stroll along the mile-long Chiyoda Trail behind the Rec Center, which is lined with hundreds of creatively carved, humorous, scary and downright weird jack-o’-lanterns. At the end of the path, there’s free cider and donuts, lawn games, a family photo area, and for the kids, a hay maze, roller slide and more. And it’s ALL FREE. There’s also a shorter path for children and seniors.
The wide variety of designs will blow you away. There are lots of ghosts and witches, bats and spiders, but the kids will also enjoy seeing characters they recognize (I’ve seen Super Mario and Roblox-themed pumpkins, for example). Click here for a photo gallery from last year.
There are always lots of special light up elements, and in previous years there’s been a (not-so-scary) haunted house and a witch at her cauldron. It’s all just super cool. In short, this is a great FREE activity for kids of all ages. And did I mention free cider and donuts??? With any luck, the weather will be a bit better this year — you may remember that last year was rather windy, rainy and stinky.
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BUT the success of this event depends on community participation. The Webster Recreation Center needs several hundred carved pumpkins to make the walk amazing, an there are two ways you can help with that.
The first is by being part of a Family Carving Night on Friday, Oct. 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Rec Center. Bring the whole family and carve a pumpkin for the display. All supplies, plus pizza and water, will be provided. Cost is $5 per person, and registration is required. Click here and enter program #3012208-A to secure your spot.
If you don’t want to join that fun time, you can make some jack-o-lanterns at home, then drop them off at the Rec Center Friday, Oct. 23 through Saturday morning, Oct. 24. There’ll be a flatbed trailer parked in front of the building where you can pull up and drop them off. The Rec Cen ter staff will place them on the trail and you can look for them as you walk.
But even if you don’t want to carve a pumpkin, make sure to bring your family out for the event. Pumpkins on Parade takes place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 24 at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr. There will be plenty of parking in the Xerox lots across from the Rec Center.
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(posted 10/17/2026)
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