Smash Your Pumpkin Saturday At The EP Community Center

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — Cue up Billy Corgan! If your Halloween jack o’ lantern is looking a little saggy don’t let it rot on your porch. Take it to the Evergreen Park Community Center, 3450 W. 97th St. and smash it. The big pumpkin smash is set for Saturday, Nov. 6 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Kids and families can throw the pumpkins at a target against the wall. There is a large tarp underneath, and at the end of the event, the Evergreen Park Street Department will shovel it all up and take it away in a dump truck, where it is composted along with the wood chips and leaves Kids are more than welcome to pick through it if they wish.

The event is open to residents from other nearby communities. Afterward, hang around for some light refreshments. Call the Evergreen Park Recreation Department at 708-229-3373 if you have questions.

Since the pumpkins we carve tend to be heavy and bulky, tossing them can fill up your trash can and head straight to a landfill. According to Climate Central, pumpkins and other types of organic waste emit methane gas, which is actually 25 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide.

>>> Halloween 2021: How To Recycle Pumpkins

Agriculture contributes to 9 percent of harmful emissions that contribute to climate change, the EPA says. A good chunk of this can be linked to the 19 billion pounds of pumpkins produced each year. So absolutely DO NOT throw pumpkins away.

Take some pumpkin guts home and use it for compost in your garden. If your pumpkin is still fairly fresh, make a sweet and savory pie. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Here are some more ways to recycle your pumpkin.