Pumpkin Glow Volunteer Event - Tracing and Carving
The Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow Volunteer Event - Tracing and Carving! No artistic skills? No problem!
Love the Glow? Volunteer & Help Bring it to Life!
One of Dayton’s most beloved traditions enters its 30th year as the Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow returns to the Stoddard Avenue hill behind Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, located at 500 Belmonte Park North in Dayton’s Grafton Hill neighborhood, on October 28th and 29th from 6-10 PM. Organizers encourage the community to not only attend the Glow but also to volunteer in the days leading up to the event to help gut, trace, and carve nearly 1,000 pumpkins.
Related: Looking to attend the glow? See How to go to the Pumpkin Glow.
Started in 1984 by Grafton Hill neighbor Judy Chaffin, lovingly known as “The Pumpkin Lady,” the event has grown from a modest display of 30 pumpkins to nearly 1,000 jack-o’-lanterns over the years.
“The Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow represents the very best of this historic Dayton community, bringing together volunteers from across the region to create a spectacle unlike anything else in the area,” says David Moyer of Keller Williams Advisors, the 2024 Chair of the Glow. “Of course, we couldn’t do it without the hundreds of volunteers who show up days before the event to cut, carve, and trace pumpkins. When I saw the opportunity to help keep this event alive, it was a no-brainer—creating a strong sense of community is exactly what we do. There’s so much fun to be had during the process, and we make sure to provide food for volunteers throughout the day. Best of all, the event is always free and open to the public, and we intend to keep it that way.”
To volunteer, visit us online on Facebook or at www.graftonhill.org for more information. Volunteer dates include:
- Thursday, October 24th: Pumpkin Gutting
- Friday, October 25th and Saturday, October 26th: Tracing and carving
- Sunday, October 27th: Final Carving and Pumpkin placement on the hill
The pumpkins will be lit on Monday, October 28th, and open to the public from 6-10 PM, with the display open again on Tuesday, October 29th during the same hours.
Event information: Pumpkin Glow on Stoddard Ave
This event is made possible thanks to the generous support of Kettering Health, the Charles D. Berry Foundation, NW Fidelity Title, Jessica Benge and The Benge Mortgage Team, Square One Salon and Spa, Joe Vichich of Rate Mortgage, and The Schray Team of Pillar to Post Home Inspections.
