4 minute read
Round, orange, good for your soul: German pumpkin fests
The American love affair with pumpkins is well documented. On the other side of the Atlantic, autumn is the season in which decorative gourds pop to life all across the country. Coffee shops fill with pumpkin spice lattés. Kitchens everywhere give off the delicious aroma of pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread. Children and parents alike sharpen their carving knives, ready to create the best jack o’lanterns ever.
But you’re here, in Germany. So…that means no pumpkin magic, right? Wrong!
In fact, Germany does an excellent job of celebrating pumpkins, even if the tradition of eating them frequently hasn’t quite caught on. This country has some of the best – and biggest — pumpkin celebrations in the world.
And many of those celebrations are happening right about…now. So if you’re mad about pumpkins (and even if you’re not), get ready to experience how pumpkins are celebrated in Germany.
Pumpkin exhibition “Fire” at Gartenschau Kaiserslautern
From the beginning of September until Kaiserslautern’s beautiful Gartenschau closes at the end of October, visitors can experience an amazing pumpkin exhibition with over 45,000 pumpkins in multiple varieties.
Similar to past years, unique works of art have been created for this year’s pumpkin exhibition, themed “Fire.” In addition to firefish, fire salamanders, and fire jellyfish, a volcanic landscape can also be admired in pumpkin form. Younger fans are sure to enjoy “Fireman Sam,” Jim Knopf with his steam locomotive Emma (after a famous German children’s book), and Fred Flintstone.
The eight-person construction team attached each individual pumpkin to wooden and wire frames. Different kinds of pumpkins were used to give the figures their color. The color palette ranges from white over classic orange to blue pumpkins.
The exhibition takes place only in the lower part of the Gartenschau, named Neumühlepark, while the upper part on the hill called “Kaiserberg“ remains a quiet recreation area with a stunning view over Kaiserslautern. While this exhibition is perfect for all ages, dogs are not allowed.
The Great Pumpkin Fest in Ludwigsburg
Billing itself as the largest of its kind in the world, the pumpkin fest at Ludwisburg is truly awe-inspiring. The artists, organizers and gourd-philes who host the festival use nearly half a million pumpkins. Some of the pumpkin artwork is staggeringly cool. You’ll find pumpkin sculptures of animals, landscapes and pop culture figures. You’ll also find massive pumpkins: the ‘biggest pumpkin’ contest, in which gourd competitors weigh several hundred pounds or more, is incredible.
It’s not just the visuals that make the Ludwisburg Fest a great one. There, you’ll find people who also appreciate the magic that exists when it comes to cooking with and eating pumpkins. There are sweet and savory treats for every palate imaginable. This year’s exhibition will be open until Nov. 2.
And best of all, the festivities are easily accessible to all and held outside in a lovely setting. Ludwisburg is 30 minutes north of Stuttgart and just under 2 hours southeast of Kaiserslautern.
Pumpkin appreciation in the KMC
There are also options for outdoor pumpkin fun for those who live in the Kaiserslautern area. You can often find pumpkin festivals nearby that offer food, giant pumpkins, pumpkin-flavored drinks, pony rides and corn mazes.
One such place is the the Sunshine Pumpkin Farm in Gerhardsbrunn, which is 30 minutes east of the KMC. The Sunshine Pumpkin Farm will open its pumpkin fields and corn maze to visitors every weekend in October
https://www.bauernhof-guhl.de/english/sunshine-pumpkin-farm/.
Hitscherhof pumpkin farm is only a 30-minute drive from Kaiserslautern and has pumpkin related events every weekend between September 13 and October 31, including 3-course pumpkin-inspired menus that change weekly, kids entertainment, bouncy castles, a corn maze, and much more. Visit Hitscherhof’s website for a detailed list of events and dishes of the week.
https://www.hitscherhof.com/en/events/
Even though you may not be in the land of pumpkin love this autumn, there are still a ton of opportunities in Germany. So get out there and enjoy the season!
