Pumpkin Night in the Park

Help carve more than 1,000 pumpkins for the Pumpkin Night in the Park event!

Registration for 2025 will start September 1, 2025.

Sunday October 12 - Thursday October 16

Bring the family, your scout group, the entire neighborhood to help carve pumpkins. You bring the creativity and person power, we provide the rest (gutted pumpkins, carving tools and patterns).

Carving will take place at the Picnic Shelter (outdoors) at Springbrook. Please make sure to dress for the weather conditions.

Registration for 2025 will begin September 21.

Onsite event parking occurs across 85th Avenue in the RMS/Cretex parking lot. See below for map or download the map(PDF, 504KB) (PDF)

Note: Onsite parking is limited. Please utilize shuttle parking if possible.

Planning on attending Pumpkin Night in the Park on October 18, 2025? Then plan on using our Free Park 'n Ride/Shuttle out of Spring Lake Park Highschool. Skip the hassle of finding a parking spot, waiting in event traffic and walking from event parking by taking the FREE shuttle from Spring Lake Park High School. You will be dropped off at the front gate of Springbrook Nature Center.

Shuttles will run continuously from 4:45 - 9:15 p.m.

See last year's map and shuttle schedule. 

It takes many people to make Pumpkin Night in the Park a success. There are many kinds of jobs on many different days. If you like to help with pumpkins - we have a job for you. If you like to lift up things and move them to other places - we have a job for you. If you like to be a part of the event when all the folks are here - we have many jobs for you.

See a list of last year's volunteer opportunities. If you are interested in volunteering or the event please email Cody Rosetti.   

Pumpkin Gutter

How does gutting pumpkins with a power tool sound? Awesome, right? If you're hoping to be a member of this crew, you will want to dress to be outdoors and in clothing that is okay to be covered with pumpkin guts. Please make sure you are at least 14 at the time of the volunteer opportunity (if you're running the power tools). Dates run October 12-16, 2025.

Pumpkin Carving Assistant

Help guide the public through the process of carving pumpkins for this year's event. You could be checking people in during each time slot, loading pumpkins onto tables, moving pumpkins into vehicles, passing out patterns, washing tools, and interacting with the delightful folks who are helping carve more than 1,000 pumpkins. Dress for the weather (you will be outside), wear layers, bring something warm to drink, and good supportive shoes. Dates run October 12-16, 2025.

Pumpkin Night in the Park Set Up - Friday

Help the staff move benches, picnic tables, hang pumpkin seats, place pumpkin stands, and anything else we can do before the event gets started. Dress for the weather, wear supportive shoes, bring a snack or some lunch, and be ready to move! Date for this opportunity is Friday, October 17, 2025.

Parking Attendants

Help guide guests into the parking lots across the street from the nature center. Members of this crew have an important job in greeting guests and being the first interaction they have to this year's event. We'd like to ask for adults only on this volunteer opportunity.

Pumpkin Placers and Pumpkin Lighters

Join the staff on Saturday morning to place the beautifully carved pumpkins along the trails. Dress for the weather in clothing that can be covered with pumpkin goo. Date for this opportunity is October 18, 2025.

Maybe you'd like to help light the 1,000 pumpkins along the trail just before the event begins. Date for this opportunity is October 18, 2025.

See the tasty treats abound at last year's Pumpkin Night in the Park. Updated food truck menus will be available in the summer of 2025.

Rustic Chef

Foods from Dry Rub Chicken Wings and Shrimp Po-Boys to Fried Brussel Sprouts and Philly Cheesesteaks! The Rustic Chef has it all! Chef Gregory Austin is a classically trained Chef who creates restaurant quality food on wheels. Fresh, original, delicious food that makes you want to come back for some more. Browse our menu at our website.

Gray Duck Concessions

We are a 100% Gluten Free truck!

Gourmet Mini Doughnuts with specialty topping made from scratch including Maple Bacon, S’More, Birthday Cake, Peanut Butter Cup, Turtle and Cinnamon Roll. Pigs in a Blanket: Breakfast sausage dipped in the sweet doughnut batter creates a memorable flavor combination! Cold beverages include cold press coffee (with optional flavor shot), iced chai and bottled water. Hot beverages include fresh brewed coffee, caramel apple cider and hot cocoa.

KCM Eggrolls

Jumbo egg rolls on a stick, foot long egg rolls on a stick, cream cheese wontons, chicken dumplings, teriyaki chicken meatball skewers, spicy garlic wings, Gluten Free spring rolls, Vietnamese Egg Roll Salad.

T-Rex Cookies

For nearly a decade we’ve been putting our ideas into action and perfecting each one of our recipes to create a quality, consistent outsized cookie with only real non artificial ingredients. Which means a Vegan or a Gluten Free Warrior might find us disappointing. That’s just the way we are. Share a cookie or, keep it all to yourself. We won’t judge.

Up North Kettle Korn

Enjoy delicious, freshly popped kettle korn!

Mr. Taco

Serving up delicious tacos and burritos!