presented the:
sparks & safety sponsors:
Slideshow photos by and available for sale at Alexander Nesbitt Photography
about the 7th Annual Ballard Park Pumpkin Tour
A little over 4,000 people turned out for the 7th Annual Ballard Park Pumpkin Tour which was held on Saturday, October 17, 2009. The event featured 1,129 pumpkins (thanks to Charles Taylor for counting all of them!) on display along the park's loop trail as well as the Newport Fire Department's Fire Prevention Trailer open for tours across the street. The tour ran smoothly thanks to the assistance of many volunteers and members of the Newport Police Department and Newport Fire Department who were on hand for the event.
Traditional jack-o-lanterns and highly creative designs intermixed along the trails. The highlight of this year's tour was the display made by Mello's Flower Stand of Portsmouth. Owners of the stand carved for three days and nights to produce their designs which included pumpkins and gourds in the forms of the Phantom of the Opera, the Predator, dragons, mushrooms, mice, men and more.
Other stand outs included a pumpkin decked in full sails by Quantum Sails of Newport, precise lettering by Aquidneck Farms, fluffy feathers bedecked several Cluny School pumpkins while Lite Bright pegs adorned a design in the "Kids of the NPD's" display. There were many intricate designs like the pumpkin which resembled the Newport Bridge. It was obvious people had fun making their pumpkins and figuring out how to best show them off. Olympic Physical Therapy of Portsmouth used LED lights as did the Friends of Molly Finn display in a pumpkin eating another pumpkin.
As in past years students enrolled in the graphics program at the Newport Area Career & Technical Center carved sponsors' logos onto pumpkins for the lead display as part of a lesson on logo design. This year they were assisted by art students at Rogers High School and members of Salve Regina's Artist Guild. RHS art students also carved pumpkins of their own design for the tour.
Children enjoyed touring the Newport Fire Department's Fire Prevention Trailer and learning what to do in the event of a fire -- stop, drop & roll! Many thanks to Captain Kevin Garcia and Lieutenant Dave Hanos for manning the trailer and the officers of NFD Station 2 for being on hand for the event. It was a great tie in to National Fire Prevention Week.
The Annual Ballard Park Pumpkin Tour is a large undertaking and wouldn't be possible with the help of many people including sixty volunteers, freelance staffers and members of several city departments such as Public Works, the School, Police and Fire Departments. Special thanks to Scott Wheeler, Captain Kevin Garcia, Bob Oakley, CPO Kevin Parsonage, Lt.. William Fitzgerald, Chief Harry Hallgring Jr., Chief Michael McKenna and Paul Fagan for their assistance and support.
Much to the delight of our volunteers and workers, two local establishments provided food for them. Pour Judgement catered a wonderful lunch mid day while Blue Rocks Catering served those on hand that evening with a delicious dinner.
Although cold, the forecasted rain held off for the tour. We weren't as lucky on Sunday for the clean up which was postponed until Monday due to the torrential rain storm. Thanks to Tim Brown for sending Rob, Kyle and Larry to Ballard Park to help us remove the pumpkins from the trails. And, to Scott Wheeler for arranging for a truck from the City of Newport to cart them away.
The 8th Annual Ballard Park Pumpkin Tour will be held on Saturday, October 16, 2010.
2009 volunteers
Louis Alves
Frank Amaral
Emma Baer
Sandy Baer
Brieana Banks
Barbara Baum
Lily Bestoso
Norman Daniel Bestoso
Erica Bonncafant
Trisha Booth
Catherine & Gary Brophy
Cavin Carmer
Colin Chase
Micaela Chile
Veronica Ciambra
Patrick Connerney
Jim Cranson
Eamon Donovan
Siobahn Donovan
Linda Finn
Phoebe Finn
Joan & Tom Galvin
Maria Gilman
Don Havey
Rose Havey
Deborah Hayes
Cathleen Hebert
Peter Hill
Elise Jones
Eric Lanio
Kayla Lanio
Steve Martin
John Martin
Mike Martins
Donna McGoff
Kathy & Tom McGrath
Colleen & Eddie Murray
Paddy Oakley
Michelle Palazzo
Peggy Richmond
Brian Schopfer
Hunter Sheckley
Annie Sherman
Tom Shevlin
Natalie Sullivan
Liz Stouffer
The Taylor Family
Alexandria Van Orden
Hon. Steve Waluk
Sophia Wough
R& R Construction
pumpkin patch sponsors:
Ancient Order of Hibernians in Memory of Peter J. O’Neill
Bartlett Tree Experts
BR Arnold Construction
Brick Alley Pub
Deborah Winthrop Lingerie
DePaul Diesel
Gustave White Auctioneers
Koziara O’Reilly & Skuncik, Ltd.
Newport FOP
Newport Harbor Corporation
Newport Tent Company
People's Credit Union
Roger King Fine Arts
St. Michael’s Country Day School
Bartlett Tree Experts
BR Arnold Construction
Brick Alley Pub
Deborah Winthrop Lingerie
DePaul Diesel
Gustave White Auctioneers
Koziara O’Reilly & Skuncik, Ltd.
Newport FOP
Newport Harbor Corporation
Newport Tent Company
People's Credit Union
Roger King Fine Arts
St. Michael’s Country Day School
thanks to:
for feeding all of the volunteers and workers
