Hundreds of children expected for Project Pumpkin on Oct. 30

UPDATE: Wake Forest’s Project Pumpkin, to be held Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 3 to 6 p.m., has been moved from Hearn Plaza to the Sutton Center due to the likelihood of inclement weather. 

Wake Forest students host children for 2018’s Project Pumpkin

More than 800 Winston-Salem children are expected to converge on Wake Forest for candy, fun and a good time during the University’s 31st annual Project Pumpkin festival. The event will be held Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 3 to 6 p.m. on Hearn Plaza.

Children of Wake Forest faculty and staff are invited to participate, too.

Project Pumpkin is a signature event at Wake Forest and one that Winston-Salem children look forward to every year. Students, staff and faculty work together to provide a carnival-like atmosphere for children, complete with trick-or-treating, games and prizes, educational activities and clowns.

This year, more than 90 student groups are expected to participate in Project Pumpkin. The theme is Planet Pumpkin, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 Moon Landing, and officials hope to educate children about the Space Project at this year’s festival.

“We’ve asked the participating organizations to ensure there’s an educational component to this year’s event surrounding our theme,” said Lovelle McMichael, a graduate assistant in the Office of Civic and Community Engagement, which helps organize this and other community outreach experiences. “It’s fine for the children to come out and get candy, but it’s important for us to make Project Pumpkin an interactive, memorable and educational experience for them.”

New this year, Wake Forest is working to raise $5,000 to support the Freedom School, a program for elementary and middle-school students aimed at strengthening children’s reading skills and closing achievement gaps. Students have set up a website for donations at crowdfund.wfu.edu.