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Ilkley to host first Pumpkin Festival this half term

Coming soon: Pumpkin carving, workshops and a town-wide Pumpkin Trail. (Images: Sand in your Eye)

Ilkley's first Pumpkin Festival will bring free family activities and a town-wide trail to the town this half term.

Organised by Ilkley Business Improvement District (BID), the Discover Ilkley Pumpkin Festival will run from Friday 23rd October to Sunday 1st November.

A day of pumpkin-themed activities will take place at Canker Well on The Grove on Wednesday 28th October, from 10.30am to 4pm.

Families can watch professional pumpkin carvers, take part in pumpkin lantern-making workshops and choose a pumpkin from the Pumpkin Patch to carve. Halloween-themed backdrops will also be available for photographs.

All activities are free, with no booking required.

The carving activities will be led by Sand In Your Eye, a Hebden Bridge-based company of artists, sculptors and workshop specialists.

A spokesperson for Sand In Your Eye said:

“As professional pumpkin carvers, this is our time to shine. We live and breathe autumn.

"While many see a pumpkin and think of a simple, two-eyed jack-o’-lantern, we see a blank canvas and an opportunity to create a glowing, temporary work of art that can stop people in their tracks.

“We can carve all manners of different pumpkins, and our work goes far beyond simply cutting a hole.

"Our artists are skilled in etching, shading, 3D sculpting, and precise stencil work. The only limit is imagination.”

Local businesses will also display their own carved pumpkins as part of a trail running throughout the festival.

Families who find all the pumpkins will have the chance to win a £50 Ilkley Gift Card.

Trail forms can be downloaded from the Discover Ilkley website or collected from Nora’s Interiors & Gifts on The Grove, Games Crusade in The Grove Promenade and Moor Fruit & Veg on Leeds Road.

Sarah Brookfield-Almond, Ilkley BID Manager, said:

“Following feedback from our BID businesses about the importance of events and activities that encourage people into the town centre, we're delighted to introduce the Pumpkin Festival as a new addition to our seasonal events programme.

“We've designed the festival to give families something fun and free to enjoy during half term, while encouraging them to explore Ilkley and support our local businesses.

“We hope lots of residents and visitors will come along to enjoy the pumpkin carving activities with the incredibly talented team from Sand In Your Eye, and have fun discovering the wonderful creations on display as part of our Pumpkin Trail.

“We're really looking forward to bringing some Halloween magic to Ilkley and hope the Pumpkin Festival will become a much-loved annual event in the town's calendar.”

Businesses taking part include Bar T’at, Fat Face, Friends of Ham, Fuggle & Golding, Games Crusade, Ilkley Dental Centre, J Reserve, Moor Fruit & Veg, Nora’s, Outdoor Living Gardens, Porters, The Art Shop, The Foot Company, The Green Room, Three Little Birds, Traditional Sweet Shop and Wharfedale Fine Cheeses.

Ilkley Town Council has provided a grant towards the pumpkin carving event, while Booths and Tesco have donated pumpkins for the Pumpkin Patch.

To find out more and download your Pumpkin Trail form, visit the Discover Ilkley website.

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