three giant pumpkins on wooden crates in the Reflecting pool that has mini pumpkins in it

Giant Pumpkin Palooza Weekend

October 26 & 27, 2024

10 a.m.–4 p.m. | Conservatory Plaza

Autumn icons, larger than life!

Dress up in your favorite Halloween outfits and join us for a family-friendly weekend to say goodbye to the hundreds of pumpkins and gourds, as well as the Garden-wide exhibition Wonderland: Curious Nature. Watch as Adam Bierton carves a giant pumpkin, greet larger-than-life puppets, and enjoy hands-on crafts and activities. Scrumptious snacks, sweets, and beverages will be available for purchase.

An enormous orange pumpkin has been carved into a monstrous, tentacled creature, reaching out to grasp smaller pumpkins around it

Giant Pumpkin Carving with Adam Bierton

October 25, 26 & 27
10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Conservatory Plaza

In its third year, Adam Bierton returns for the Fall-O-Ween season finale to carve a giant pumpkin! From last year’s 2,246-lb. pumpkin, a botanical beast with tentacles emerged after 21 hours of scraping, chiseling, carving, and detailing. This year, Adam and a team of carvers return to once again transform a giant pumpkin sourced by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth into an organic masterpiece.

Learn more about these gargantuan fruits here, and be sure to share your carving ideas on social with #GiantPumpkinsNYBG—Adam just might choose your request for this year’s giant carve!

A child in an astronaut outfit poses for a photo while sitting atop a massive orange pumpkin

Family Fun

October 26 & 27
1–4 p.m.
Conservatory Plaza & Lawn

Curious Caps with Materials for the Arts
Join creative re-use non-profit Material for the Arts to make a colorful and curious cap made out of recycled materials.

Meet a Giant Puppet with Lucrecia Novoa of Mascara Viva
Chilean-born artist Lucrecia Novoa of Mascara Viva brings larger-than-life puppets to the Garden. View her Hispanic Heritage Month interview here.

Story Time Station
This station is perfect for little ones who just need a quiet moment to themselves. Tucked away from the crowds, find our cozy mats and read an Autumn book silently, or have one of our Explainers read to you!

Discover Pumpkins and Gourds
Ever wonder how many seeds are in a pumpkin? Or what exactly IS the difference between a pumpkin and a gourd? Come ready with all of your wonders and work with our Explainers to find the answers! Take a peek inside a pumpkin, use our scales to weigh some gourds, and take a closer look at all the beautiful different colors and varieties we feature here at the Garden!

Potting Up
Learn about what a plant needs to grow, and pot up your very own spooky plant to take home!

Families play in a colorful outdoor space

Visit the Everett Children's Adventure Garden Pop-Up Station

October 26 & 27
1–3 p.m.
Across from the Native Plant Garden

Make a Mycelium Egg
Visit the Pop Up Discovery cart to learn all about mushrooms and why they’re important to all of us. Craft a mycelium egg sculpture to take home!

In the Night Garden
Did you know that some flowers bloom at night? Even some that grow here in the Garden! Learn all about night blooming flowers and the pollinators that work the night shift!

A small child poses for a photo while hugging a blue puppet

CINCO Presented by New York City Children’s Theater

Sunday, October 27; 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
Meet in Watson Lobby of the Mertz Library

Join New York City Children’s Theater for CINCO! Piper the Puppet travels to New York City all the way from Planet Blank to learn about their five senses! Incorporating live music, puppetry, videos, and sensory objects, CINCO takes children on a bilingual sensory journey with Piper, as they explore the five senses while celebrating the unique boroughs of New York City.

Show is 40 minutes, best suited for ages 2–5. Show is presented in Spanish.

¡Únete al New York City Children’s Theater para FIVE/CINCO! ¡Piper el Títere viaja a la ciudad de Nueva York desde el Planeta Blank para aprender sobre sus cinco sentidos! Incorporando música en vivo, marionetas, videos y objetos sensoriales, FIVE/CINCO lleva a los niños a un viaje sensorial bilingüe con Piper, mientras exploran los cinco sentidos y celebran los únicos condados de la ciudad de Nueva York!

Duración del programa: 40 minutos.

Recomendado para edades de 2 a 5 años.