Annual Pumpkin Smash at SMLI

I conceived and launched Pumpkin Smash, a large-scale community sustainability event designed to creatively address post-Halloween food waste while promoting environmental education, conservation awareness, and hands-on public engagement. Developed as both an educational initiative and an immersive seasonal experience, Pumpkin Smash quickly became one of the Science Museum of Long Island’s most recognizable and anticipated public programs.

Held annually on the first Sunday of November at the museum’s 36-acre Leeds Pond Preserve, the event invited families and community members to bring their leftover Halloween pumpkins to be tossed, thrown, crushed, smashed, and composted instead of trashed. Designed to transform sustainability education into an engaging and memorable experience, Pumpkin Smash encouraged participants of all ages to interact directly with concepts surrounding composting, waste reduction, and ecological responsibility.

All pumpkin waste collected during the event was composted in partnership with local nonprofit Okestrai Farms, helping reduce landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions while returning nutrients back to the earth. The event served as a highly visible example of how environmental education could be integrated into large-scale community programming in a fun, accessible, and impactful way.

Pumpkin Smash featured live music, food trucks, local beverage partners, interactive sustainability programming, and large-scale pumpkin smashing installations spread throughout the preserve. The inaugural event featured a live performance by Daisy the Great, alongside food from Sid’s All American Food Truck and beverages from Barrier Brewing Company. Interactive attractions included a Pumpkin Slingshot, Pumpkin Bat Smashing Station, Pumpkin Bowling, Pumpkin Darts, Pumpkin Archery, Pumpkin Rooftop Drop, and Pumpkin DropKill, creating a playful festival atmosphere that drew strong community participation year after year.

In addition to increasing seasonal attendance and public visibility for the museum, Pumpkin Smash also served as a fundraising initiative supporting both the museum’s ongoing conservation projects and the Christopher Holmes Memorial Fund for Summer Camp Scholarships, helping expand access to educational opportunities for local children and families.