Ready, Set...Carve!

Whitefish Bay's famous Great Pumpkin Display turns 18 years old this year with the leadership of the Whitefish Bay Civic Foundation, but its birth and early development years were inspired by one man's love for masterful pumpkin carving.

Thanks to Gordy Falk, Whitefish Bay has a pumpkin-scooping tradition reaching back more than 30 years. But it was in 1987, when Falk, better known then as Whitefish Bay's Mr. Pumpkin, was told by police to move his extensive jack-o-lantern collection from his Carlisle Avenue lawn to , due to traffic congestion in the neighborhood.

But Falk wanted to see his display grow, and he briefly moved the show to Wisconsin State Fair Park. He eventually reached an agreement to display his pumpkins at the The Bavarian Inn several years later, prompting the Whitefish Bay Civic Foundation to keep him in the park by making it a formal community event.

The Civic Foundation will continue that tradition Thursday, when the five-day festival kicks off with an Irish rock band, the Milwaukee Admirals and – of course – pumpkin carving.

Families can come by anytime from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday through Monday to get creative and carve the 1,000 pumpkins in the park. The Civic Foundation also ordered 14 large pumpkins - with a total weight of 4,400 pounds. Those will be saved for the experts, like "master carver" Lee Saberson, who has been carving since the festival's origins. Saberson is now looking for an apprentice to learn the art of carving and help carve pumpkins in the future.

The Great Pumpkin Display has taken many different forms over the years: it used to feature hayrides and raffles. Now the event features more tables in the "pumpkin cafe" area, where families can stop for a bite to eat from Jack Pandl’s Whitefsh Bay Inn.

"I can't believe how it has evolved, even from 10 years ago," Civic Foundation President Tracy Rothman said.

Rothman said the pumpkins used to be carved by Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops throughout the week before the event, drawing more drive-by traffic than anything.

These days, the pumpkin carving is more interactive, as families line up at tables and let the creative pumpkin juices flow at the same time. Rothman said the true magic of the event is seeing families come together for a night to enjoy food, music and holiday fun.

"I've seen folks who have said they had never carved a pumpkin until now. We get other people who can't believe there is this great event right here in the community, where you can get together as a family in the park and carve pumpkins for free," she said. "The kids' faces just light up."

In recent years, Bay View has borrowed from Whitefish Bay's pumpkin festival by hosting the Bay View Pumpkin Pavilion, which lasts two days instead of five and displays pumpkins carved by community members in the week leading up to the event.

So come on by the park this weekend and join the fun. The jack-o-lanterns will be lit every night, providing great visuals. If you have any pictures you'd like to share, we encourage you to share them with Patch throughout the event.

Highlights of the event include:

Thursday
6 to 8 p.m.: Meet the Milwaukee Admirals & Roscoe
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Musical Guest:  Reilly (Irish rock)

Friday
5:45 p.m.: Hounds Around Town Dog Costume Parade
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Musical Guest: Lil Rev (folk music)

Saturday
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Musical Guest: The Gleasons (Irish rock)

Sunday
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Musical Guest: Dante's Bop (Americana music)

Monday
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Musical Guest: Jon Kahl (solo guitar)