Sugar Skull, Minions And More: Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Pumpkin-Carving Contest Returns
The Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Great Pumpkin-Carving Contest had jack-o-lantern entries ranging from spooky to whimsical.
Lauren Booker
The Halloween spirit was celebrated with creativity during the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s yearly live pumpkin-carving contest Thursday.
During this year’s competition, six teams — Longleaf, Amp’d Entertainment Team 1, Amp’d Entertainment Team 2, The American Hotel, A Pinch Bakery and Gathering Industries — competed to win the grand prize of a hotel stay at the Loews Hotel.
With only 30 minutes to spare, the groups gutted, painted and sculpted their pumpkins at their work stations in the center of Atlanta Botanical Garden’s lawn. Then a crowd of around 100 attendees cast their votes by sounding off who their winner is.
The third-place winner was A Pinch Bakery’s pumpkin that donned a flower crown and was inspired by sugar skulls.
Second place went to Longleaf’s pumpkin that was turned black to give off “Nightmare Before Christmas” vibes.
Amber West, with Gathering Industries, a nonprofit serving homeless populations, helped lead the team to victory by carving a glowing, grimacing pumpkin that appears to be getting eaten by smaller “minion” pumpkins.
West said the third time was the charm for her since she was a runner-up in the competition four years ago.
“It feels good. I’ve gotten second place every time I competed,” West said.
It’s also been four years since she’s carved a pumpkin.
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