City of Hobart kicks off a haunting Halloween at annual Pumpkins in the Park

All the goblins, ghouls, and ghosties were out in Festival Park on October 4 for the City of Hobart’s annual Pumpkins in the Park event! The perfect kickoff for the Halloween season, Pumpkins in the Park combines costumes and candy with community and connection for an afternoon full of fun along Lake George.

“The community really likes to come together to do something spooky and fun,” Event Assistant at Hobart Events Corrine Skagg said. “Anything we can do to get the community involved for Halloween is what we aim to do.”

The event began with a parade of decorated golf carts riding into Festival Park to the delight of the gathered crowd. Stand out designs for this year included a “Jeepers Creepers” cart, a cart dressed like Mater from the “Cars” franchise, and a caravan of creepy clowns. All three designs won awards at the event. “Lilo & Stitch,” the Twisted Metal franchise, and Gru and the minions from “Despicable Me” also made appearances during the parade.

The Hobart team had a plethora of vendors and entertainment throughout Festival Park.  Kristy’s Krisp Fizzy’s,  the Big Weiner,  Lights of Fun, and  Fun Times Cotton Candy were on site providing refreshments and toys while many local businesses and organizations like the  Hobart Lions and  Sip Coffee House passed out candy. Even Hobart Mayor Josh Huddlestun made an appearance as “Mayorio” to hand out sweets.

“It really just feels like a community,” Skaggs said. “Everyone is here, having a good time. They’re finding something fun, getting out there, and enjoying the town they live in.”

Throughout the event,  DJ Tank kept the tracks spinning with a mixture of modern classics, creepy covers, and Halloween hits. He also served as the emcee for the highly anticipated costume contest. Kids, adults, and families went head to head for the crowd’s cheers with their costumes. From Sonic the Hedgehog to Rumi from “KPop Demon Hunters” to the entire main cast of “Descendents,” Hobart creativity was front and center.

“It’s honestly just so much fun seeing people and families get dressed up,” Skaggs said. “The costume contest is always a fun, safe way to celebrate Halloween with the Parks Department.” 

Pumpkins in the Park and the Halloween Golf Cart Parade wouldn’t be possible without the continued support from the events’ sponsors, the city, and the families that come out to have some fun.

“I want to thank our vendors that came out as well as DJ Tank. They’ve been amazing,” Skaggs said. “I also want to thank the City of Hobart for letting us do this event and our Parks Department maintenance team for putting up all the fun props and photo ops.”

Pumpkins in the Park is only the beginning of the Halloween festivities planned in the city. The inaugural  Run for Your Life Race will be screaming to Robinson Lake on October 25, and Mayor Huddlestun has officially extended the normal trick-or-treating hours for October 31.

“For us, it’s always been about bringing the community together for festivities that are fun and safe,” Skaggs said. “Stay tuned because we have even more planned for spooky Halloween.”

Stay up to date on all of the fun in Hobart by visiting  Hobart Events’ website. Learn more about the City of Hobart at  cityofhobart.org.