
Halloween in Harbord Village isn’t over on October 31! Every November 1 the sidewalks on Harbord between Spadina and Borden are typically lined with hand-carved pumpkins collected from local residents and business owners. Some are works of art; most were carved by inventive parents and kids. This festival is sponsored by HVRA and the Harbord Street Business Improvement Association.
There’s free hot cider, musical entertainment, and treats provided by local businesses. The street throngs with admirers. See some photos across the years below.

PumpkinFest 2023 was a great success! Thanks to all neighbours, volunteers, and donors who carved the pumpkins, helped organize the collection of pumpkins and keep them illuminated, and provided hot cider to the throngs of visitors! Check out Kerry Clare’s Flickr album with more than 150 awesome photos showcasing the creativity of Harbord Village residents.
PumpkinFest 2021 generated a Covid-ish version, keeping traditions alive (or at least un-dead!) and finding more ways to celebrate without losing COVID protection. This year the Harbord Street BIA donated 10 prizes of $50 each for pumpkin carving and house decorating, generating much interest and many fine photos. Thanks to all who carved and decorated, and to the intrepid judges who chose prizewinners from the wealth of entries. Enjoy over 100 photos on this Flickr site.
Pumpkin Carving Prizes: judges—Margaret Procter, Leslie Thompson, Wendy Trueman, Micki and Pete Hoffmann, and Harriet and Iris Lawler. (Click on any photo to see a larger version.)
House Decorating Prizes: judges—Area Reps Frank Davis (NE), Christian Mueller & Kerry Clare (NW), Cathy Merkley (SE), Simon Coleman (SC), and Jane Perdue (SW). (Click on any photo to see a larger version.)
PumpkinFest 2020 was different from usual: no trick-or-treating on Hallowe’en, no crowds of people admiring the collection of pumpkins the day after. But pumpkin carvers still created original carvings and inventive displays on their home porches and lawns, and lit them on Nov. 1 for everyone to enjoy. Here are a few sample photos — notice the snow in the final one! (Click on any photo to see it full-size.)
Thanks to photographers Dori Aspuru-Takata (and her dog Mazapán), Anne Fleming, Amy Furness, Richard Longley, Peter Macaulay, Lena Mortensen, and Regine Schmid for sharing their shots.
For even more photos of cute, amusing, clever, and scary pumpkins, browse the collections posted to the photo-sharing sites linked below.
- Richard Longley (posted for him by Anne Fleming to Google Drive)
- Lena Mortensen (Google Photos)
- Anne Fleming (Google Photos)
PumpkinFest 2019 gave us a Friday night of seasonal sights, sounds, and tastes. Pumpkin carvers were as creative as ever, and the crowds came to admire their sculptures glowing in the dark. Music, hot cider, and other local treats enriched the experience. Many thanks to the dozens of volunteers who collected pumpkins, set them out on tables along Harbord, kept candles lighted, and then cleaned up afterwards. Thanks also to the roving photographers who gave us images to remember.
Two photographers kindly put a selection of their shots online. Click on their names to view their displays:
- Anne Kerekes: a gallery of pumpkin sculptures
- Graham Rempe: people, pumpkins, and scenes
The weather posed quite a challenge to PumpkinFest 2018 organizers and volunteers. Thank you so much to everyone who helped on this windy and very wet night! Beautiful as well as scary pumpkins and the treats from local businesses rewarded the brave souls who came out in spite of the weather. (Thank you to photographers Anne Fleming and Anne Kerekes for these images. Click on the white arrows to see a slide show, or use the right-arrow button on your keyboard.)
Here’s an array of scenes from 2017—a cold damp night, but with lots of light, fun, and laughter along Harbord Street. Hot cider, chai, and baked treats from local businesses helped keep us warm. Thanks to local helpers who set up and took down the displays. Click the white arrows to see the slide show. (Thanks to photographers Graham Rempe, Richard Longley, Neil Wright, and others.)
Scenes like this happen every year! Click on the names below to see photo galleries contributed by local photographers, going back to 2010:
- 2019: Anne Kerekes and Graham Rempe (both Google Photos)
- 2018: Anne Fleming (Flickr), Anne Kerekes (Google Photos)
- 2017: Graham Rempe (Google Photos)
- 2016: Anne Kerekes assembled a portfolio of 2016 photographs by herself as well as by John Chu, Elaine Ford, Mary Ann Henderson, Eleanor Levine, Richard Longley, Anne Stevens, Wendy Trueman (Google Photos)
- 2015: Richard Longley (Flickr)
- 2014: Graham Rempe (Picasa)
- 2012: Ionatan Waisgluss (Kaleidoscope blog site)