Pick your Pumpkin at the Big Chair on National Pumpkin Day
National Pumpkin Day 2026 is celebrated on Monday, October 26, 2026, which is five days before Halloween. Greater Gardner MA Fact: The Hope Masonic Lodge Annual Pumpkin Sale is taking place next to the Big Chair at 130 Elm Street, Gardner. Thousands of pumpkins being sold.
Overview & History
- Date: Annually on October 26 (Monday in 2026).
- Origin: Pumpkins are native to North America, with early domestication tracing back 5,000 to 7,500 years in Mexico.
- Cultural Roots: Indigenous peoples used them for food, bowls, and storage. Later, Irish traditions of carving turnips for jack-o’-lanterns adapted to larger pumpkins in the United States.
- Production: The U.S. produces about 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins each year, with Illinois leading production (including Morton, Illinois, which packages a vast majority of the world’s canned pumpkin)
National Pumpkin Day is celebrated on Monday, October 26, 2026. Falling exactly five days before Halloween, this annual unofficial holiday honors the ultimate symbol of the autumn harvest.
Ways to Celebrate
- Visit a patch: Gather family or friends to pick out the perfect gourd at a local farm.
- Get carving: Scoop out the seeds and carve your best jack-o’-lantern design ahead of Halloween.
- Bake comforting classics: Whip up delicious treats like pumpkin pie, silky soup, or warm pumpkin bread.
Fast Pumpkin Facts
- Botanical status: Pumpkins are technically fruits, specifically a type of berry called a pepo.
- Ancient roots: They are native to North America, with the oldest domesticated seeds discovered in Mexico dating back to 7,500–5,500 B.C.
- Top producer: Illinois grows the most pumpkins in the United States, producing a massive portion of the nation’s 1.5 billion annual pounds