19 October 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – A Topeka family is taking pumpkin carving to another level.
One household in the College Hill neighborhood created what’s known as the Pumpkin House in College Hill. Joe and RaLynn Schmidt started with around 20 pumpkins seven years ago, and the project has grown every year. This year, their kids were able to join in on the carving fun.
Now, there are almost 200 craft pumpkins carved with a design for everyone, from Disney characters to famous historical figures and Halloween’s iconic faces.
“It is a blast to see the kids walk by and just glow, the kids just light up and that’s really what it’s for,” Joe Schmidt said. “Seeing the kids light up about it. It’s fun to watch them name all the pumpkins.”
“It is the kids, but it’s also the adults, sometimes, and I think they can be just as excited,” RaLynn Schmidt said. “And just to see, get the ideas of what do people want to see and what can we find and share it with the community. That’s the best part.”
There’s currently 185 carved pumpkins on display, and they hope to get up to 200 before this Halloween. You can drive by and see the Pumpkin House after dusk most nights on the corner of 15th and Jewell.
The display is up Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until Halloween, weather permitting. To stay up to date, visit Pumpkin House in College Hill on Facebook.