Come celebrate the warmth of community 

By Brian Burchell

Harbord Village’s cherished pumpkin festival is back this year on Nov. 1. Dozens of pumpkins will light up the neighbourhood along Harbord Street from Spadina Avenue to Borden Street. 

Between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., people will parade along the street to view all of the lit pumpkins, drinking hot apple cider, eating baked goods from Harbord Bakery, and displaying the last of their Halloween spirit. Creations carved at homes in the neighbour¬hood are brought to Harbord Street for a “reshowing.” 

A lot of effort goes into this green community event every year. Sponsored by the Harbord Street BIA and the Harbord Village Residents’ Association, event staff hire athletes from the University of Toronto to prepare and clean up after the festival. “We call them the pumpkin heads,” said Neil Wright, chair of the Harbord Street BIA, and they do the heavy lifting, taking carved pumpkins from neighbourhood porches. Local businesses pro¬vide free food and drink for the public along with their own admirable creations. At the end of the night, the city collects and recycles the artwork. 

Harbord Village has opened the event up again this year to anyone and everyone willing to share their jack-o-lanterns at the parade. The more, the merrier at this family-oriented event.

READ MORE:

• ON THE COVER: Pumpkin Festival returns (Nov. 2022)
• CHATTER: Harbord Village’s Pumpkin Festival returns (Nov. 2022)
• CHATTER: Send your pumpkin back to the patch on November 1 (City Election 2018)
• CHATTER: A patch of orange (Nov. 2015)
• CHATTER: 6^th Annual Harbord Street Pumpkin Festival (Nov. 2013)