Portage defies gravity with a ‘Wicked’ return of Light Up the Gourds

A cornucopia of pumpkins lit the way as hundreds walked the trails of Imagination Glen Park on Saturday, October 10 during the return of the sixth annual Light Up the Gourds event. The pumpkin trails guided walkers to an array of fall-themed activities centered around a “Wicked” theme, making it a “spook-tacular” way to bring the Portage community together in the spirit of the Halloween season.

“I like that we have the senior and sensory hour at five to six, so that makes us more all inclusive,” said Norma Laboy, Public Relations Specialist. “We love having all the organizations come and carve pumpkins and partake in the event. It’s just a really cool event to bring the community together.”

Light Up the Gourds has been a Portage staple for years – no fall season in the city is complete without the miles of pumpkins carved in creative designs and crafty costumes eagerly awaiting trailwalkers. Made complete with food trucks such as Hangry to Happy, DonutNV, The BIG Weiner, Twisted Sugar, and Travelin’ Tom’s serving tasty autumn treats, Light Up the Gourds has been a fan-favorite way to celebrate the changing of the seasons in the city for many years.

“We’re not really your normal Halloween thing,” said Laboy. “We’re more family friendly, where everything’s toned down. Nothing’s scary. Nothing jumps out at you. So it’s something that the whole family can do together, and not just older kids going through haunted houses or anything.”

To bring so many eclectic pumpkin displays to Portage is no easy feat – it takes quite the team to put it all together each year. Light Up the Gourds got its initial start a while back when Portage Event Partnership (PEP) Member Andrea Riley wanted to bring a bit of the magic she saw at a Kentucky pumpkin light display to her hometown. Since then, the event has grown immensely, with PEP inviting many throughout Portage and surrounding communities to pitch in. This includes Portage officials such as Norma Laboy, team management/event coordinator at the Office of the Mayor, to people like Ralph Wilcox, pastor at Trailside Community Church, who has played an immense role in this year’s Light Up the Gourds through and the event’s trunk-or-treat offering the church’s building for the Community Carving Night.

“If we can come out and see a bunch of people and help them have a good night, and help the event staff hopefully have a good event as well, and maybe enrich that for them a little bit, then that’s what we want to do,” Wilcox said. “It was like an open door and a blessing on both ends to be able to join with the City, so it means a lot to us to be able to partner and do this with them.”

Additionally, Chesterton-based business Lan Cam, Inc. made it possible this year for those unable to walk the trails to still get in on all the fun. The company donated golf carts for them to drive the trails during the event’s Senior and Sensitivity Hour, which took place an hour before the starting time.

Partnerships, such as those with Trailside and Lan Cam, have played an immense role in bringing Light up the Gourds to life. PEP works hard to incorporate new and returning businesses each year to be a part of the whole experience.

“We’re always looking for individuals, community groups, or service groups to advertise, and invite them to carve your own pumpkin, make your own scene,” said Laboy. “It just means a lot with these businesses stepping up, because without them we wouldn’t have all of those amazing scenes and things to offer to people.”

Light Up the Gourds has always been a strong instigator for Portage pride. From bringing together tons of local businesses to hundreds of community members coming out to mingle in the crisp autumn breeze, there’s no better way to encapsulate the city’s Halloween spirit than the sights and lights of decorative pumpkins filling the air.

“I think that when you do an event like this for the city it really enhances what people are into, what they want, or events that they’ll bring their families to,” said Wilcox. “If you can create a family friendly event, a safe place to go, I think that means a lot to people in the community.”

For more information on other fun events happening both throughout the fall and year round, visit the City of Portage’s website at portagein.gov.