The best pumpkins around: Contest sparks 5th grade creativity

Kati O’Hare

Daily Press Writer

MONTROSE —Halloween is just around the corner and that means plenty of pumpkin carving.

At Cottonwood Elementary in Montrose, fifth grade students have already got a jump on their Halloween creativity with a pumpkin contest.

Each student in three fifth grade classes at Cottonwood got a free pumpkin to take home. They could do whatever they wished with it - keep it or decorate it and bring it back for the contest. Prizes were given to every student, but eight students were picked for their unique creativity and pumpkin design.

“They were so good, we picked eight,” said Principal Russell Tomlin.

There were over 50 pumpkins, but when the final decision was made by the judges, it was Katie McClenden, 10, with the best use of natural ingredients. She used vegetables out of her refrigerator for her design. With a zucchini nose, apple ears, radish and raisin eyes, and parsley and green onion hair, she won first place.

Second place with best “stuffed” pumpkin was Savanna Edgers, 10. She got her jack-o’-lantern and bear design while shopping. She worked hard last week on it with her parents and thought the carved face and trick-or-treat bag was a nice touch.

Alex Lakin, 10, found an idea completely different from the rest of the students and received third place and best fairy-tale pumpkin.

“I thought of Cinderella and how the carriage was a pumpkin, and that was my inspiration,” Lakin said. She went to extremes with details, having white silk material and gold sequences inside with a red couch. The carved windows had curtains and the carriage was pulled by decorated plastic horses.

Lindsey Rummings, 10, went a different direction and made her pumpkin into a spaceship. Painted silver with eight carved window and antennas, it took her three hours to do.

There were four honorable mentions. Jose Guillermo won best humor with a “nerd” pumpkin. Chelsea Petterson won most patriotic with a flag-painted pumpkin. Cassity Gray won best fall arrangement and Miley Beyer won best witch.

Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com