Get Rid Of Your Gourds! Smash Your Pumpkin Saturday At Lake Katherine

PALOS HEIGHTS, IL You had fun carving it – now smash it! Join the Lake Katherine Nature Center this Saturday, Nov. 4, for the first-ever pumpkin smash. The eco-friendly event runs from 9 a.m. to noon at 7402 Lake Katherine Drive, Palos Heights.

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.

>>> The Cook County Forest Preserves Doesn't Want Your Rotting Pumpkins

Kids and families can take out their frustrations by smashing their decaying jack-o-lantern with a mallet. Other fun activities are planned as well. The pumpkin debris will be composted along with the wood chips and leaves. Kids are more than welcome to pick through the pumpkin guts if they wish.

Kids must be accompanied by an adult. The event is open to all area residents who want to get rid of their Halloween jack-o-lanterns in an environmentally safe way.

Here are some other area pumpkin smashing events:

Ball Fore Miniature Golf Course and Batting Cages
(Chicago Ridge Park District)
6701 W. 107th St., Worth
Saturday, Nov. 4, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Evergreen Park Community Center
3450 W. 97th St.
Saturday, Nov. 4, 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Do you have pumpkin waste but not compost bins? Visit Scarce to find a pumpkin smash near you.