Pumpkin wall rises soon in the Elizabeth neighborhood

It’s Pumpkin Wall time.
Scaffolding for the the traditional Elizabeth pumpkin wall is up on Clement Avenue in the Elizabeth neighborhood.
Nightly pumpkin carving starts Friday, Oct. 23. Neighbors are also invited to carve their own pumpkin at home and bring it to the wall.
The wall lighting ceremony will be at dusk on Wednesday, Oct. 28.





The wall has been a tradition sinced 2004 and has often included a political message. The scaffolding and wiring are key to the success of the project, brought to the neighborhood and the city by The Woodpeckers, a neighborhood group.
Photos here are from 2006 through 2008. The messages capture a glimpse of historic concerns over time: the “Pray for Rain” pumpkin came after a drought year, and the date on the wall in 2007 refers to Inauguration Day in 2009, at a time when the next president remained unclear.
What will the wall say this year?

Great pumpkin wall rises again in the Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte

The Great Pumpkin Wall has risen again in Elizabeth, at the corner of Clement Avenue and Eighth Street. As of today, it looks as if it needs some help from expert carvers.

You can also carve at home and bring your pumpkin to the wall.

Official lighting ceremony is at dusk on Friday, Oct. 29. Trick-or-treating at the wall is Saturday, Oct. 30.

Note: The Merry Oaks neighborhood is trick-or-treating on Sunday. Other nearby neighborhoods like Plaza Midwood are planning events for Saturday. The Plaza Midwood Fall Crawl, to raise money to band trees against cankerworms, is on Saturday.

In the photo of the young carvers:
Sophie Cleghorn (left), daughter of John Cleghorn of Caldwell Memorial Presbyterian Church, and friend Kate Hader.

For past pumpkin wall posts, go here.

Elizabeth's pumpkin wall

No matter your politics, you can't deny that the Elizabeth community's pumpkin wall has been a treat for the neighbors during recent years. Most of the photos here are from the 2007 wall, challenged by drought and then rains at carving time.

The photo second from the top is from the 2006 truth wall, which created a bit of political controversy.

Will there be a wall this year? What will it say? Let me know so I can share.

But one word of advice this Halloween: Let's hope all the nearby neighborhoods get a clue this year. Don't add to traffic and gas consumption by swarming Elizabeth and Plaza Midwood (and even Chapel Hill) for Halloween festivities. Let's try to make it work in our own neighborhoods. If we must visit the nearby sites, be mindful of people big and small on foot.

Elizabeth's pumpkin wall lighting is Wednesday

The traditional pumpkin wall lighting ceremony in Charlotte’s Elizabeth neighborhood is this Wednesday, and it appears at this point that weather will cooperate.
The wall is at 525 Clement Ave.
The photo here shows how the wall was shaping up as of Saturday, Oct. 24, this year. And see more historical pictures from earlier years at the wall.
Other nearby Halloween festivities: Elizabeth’s Trunk or Treat and potluck dinner at Upper Independence Park on Oct. 31, near the rose garden near 1900 Park Drive, just off Seventh Street. The event focuses on NON-sweet treats and decorated trunks.
In Plaza Midwood, the Van Landingham Estate at 2010 The Plaza is hosting its first ever Haunted Estate Party, with spooky music, dancing, candy, cookies and punch, and heavier foods for sale, including a cash bar for the grownups.
Then, of course, the trick-or-treat action moves to the neighborhoods. Check out Tommy Tomlinson’s recent column about what Halloween feels like in Plaza Midwood, a traditional hot spot.
Remember safety tips.
And don’t forget to brush your teeth.

Visit Flickr for Elizabeth pumpkin wall pictures

Want more pictures of the pumpkin wall in Elizabeth?
Go visit Flickr, a photo sharing service. This particular search at the link is for the words "pumpkin wall," and you'll see a few walls that are in other places too as an added bonus.
Do not miss the shots by the photographer called Doxieone. She did a great job capturing the pumpkins at night.

Pumpkin wall lighting on Wednesday

The Elizabeth neighborhood is building its annual pumpkin wall, and the official lighting ceremony is Wednesday at 7 p.m. (-ish, I suspect).
More photos soon from the wall on Sunday. There were plenty of pumpkins yet to be carved on Sunday afternoon. Pumpkins are free, but you're welcome to carve your own at home and bring it to the wall.
Note: I did not see any pi pumpkins as of Sunday. That was my favorite pun in the past.
Where: 537 Lamar Street.

More Elizabeth pumpkin wall images

This post is because one can never have enough pumpkin pictures in one's life.

The images are from the official lighting ceremony of the Elizabeth neighborhood's pumpkin wall at 525 Clement Ave.

More Charlotte Halloween details and activities.

Note: These photos are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works license. Details. I'd appreciate being contacted before any reuse.

Pumpkin wall update

Under the Water Tower has the scoop on the Elizabeth pumpkin wall. Go check it out.
More pictures here.

Pumpkin wall time in Elizabeth

A flyer in Plaza Midwood stated that pumpking carving begins tonight for the traditional Elizabeth pumpkin wall. Ask around for location, or visit one of the fine nearby Plaza Midwood restaurants and look for the flyer for details.

Pumpkin wall video here
Found link originally at Under The Water Tower, which credits Snaps.

The traditional pumpkin wall, in Elizabeth.
And another sign of the times: a small resident of the southern N.C. mountains.