SARATOGA, CA — What happens to your Halloween jack-o'-lantern after the holiday? Students at Saratoga High School have a suggestion: Bring it to their campus, press a button and watch a machine smash it into compostable pieces.
The school's robotics team hosted the fifth annual SMASH Maker Fair — short for STEM Madness at Saratoga High — from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, in the school courtyard at 20300 Herriman Ave.
"I love the energy and joyfulness the event brings to kids and their families, and the collective effort of organizers and volunteers who make it possible,"Anya Vora, Lead Event Organizer, told Patch. "SMASH embodies the power of community and collaboration, and its continued success reminds me why we give back to our community in the first place."
The event combines a crowd-pleasing pumpkin-smashing spectacle with hands-on science, technology, engineering and art activities organized by students.
Last year, more than 750 people attended, about twice as many as in 2024. The event composted more than 1,000 pounds of pumpkin and featured more than 40 booths, according to the event website.
"Seeing the smiles on the kids' faces is priceless. It never gets old seeing their joy when the pumpkins get smashed, and knowing all our hard work is paying off," Serena Hu, SMASH Hardware Lead, told Patch.
The star attractions are three pumpkin-smashing machines designed, built and maintained by students on Saratoga High's MSET Robotics Club, also known as team 6165 MSET Cuttlefish.
Each machine works differently. One drives two spikes sideways through a pumpkin, another drops a 40-pound sledgehammer, and a third uses a vertical pneumatic piston. Visitors can bring their pumpkins and push a button to set the machines in motion, with students handling the equipment.
The pumpkins are then composted rather than sent to a landfill. Food waste in landfills can generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas, as it decomposes.
What began with a single machine in 2022 has grown into a community event featuring more than 40 booths from makers, school clubs and robotics teams. Visitors can also explore science demonstrations and carnival games designed for all ages.
The fair has also attracted community support. Organizers received a City of Saratoga community grant last year, and the event has expanded its local presence with banners downtown this year.
The event is hosted by students on the MSET Cuttlefish robotics team, which competes in FIRST Tech Challenge robotics competitions.
More information is available on the SMASH Maker Fair website.
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