GW Garden Holds Annual Pumpkin Smash

Students at George Washington University smashed Halloween pumpkins so the remains could be composted for the campus garden.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Gardening

Live Poll

Should your community do more to compost Halloween pumpkins instead of throwing them away?

GW's student-run GroW Garden hosted its annual Pumpkin Smash on a rainy Saturday afternoon, drawing nearly 30 students. Participants smashed donated Halloween pumpkins with tools including a hammer, a baseball bat, a rake and a shovel.

Why it matters

The event diverts pumpkins from the trash and turns them into compost for the garden. Organizers say the gathering keeps the garden's compost system supplied with organic material.

Nearly 30 students attended this year's event, up from around 20 last year. Two of the garden's four compost tumblers were filled with pumpkin guts, and the total number of pumpkins smashed was not reported.

The players

Elias Theofilopoulos

Garden manager of GW's GroW Garden who started the pumpkin smash idea last fall.

GW Office of Sustainability

The George Washington University office that oversees the student-run GroW Garden.

The details

Participants picked a tool from items laid out on hay stacks, put on protective glasses, and smashed pumpkins across two blue tarps covering the garden. The garden is overseen by GW's Office of Sustainability and run by student volunteers.

Fall 2024: Garden manager Elias Theofilopoulos began volunteering at the GroW Garden as a first-year.
Last fall: Theofilopoulos conceived the pumpkin smash idea on a whim.
Last year: The first GroW Garden Pumpkin Smash drew around 20 participants.
Saturday, November 7, 2026: This year's event was held on a rainy afternoon.

Seasonal Patterns

Community gardens across Washington have used harvest-season produce waste as compost for decades, and GW's pumpkin smash applies that same approach to Halloween pumpkins. The model turns a short-lived seasonal waste stream into a year-round soil input for the garden's crops.

Residents who bring Halloween pumpkins to the garden for composting help keep organic waste out of the trash. The finished compost will be used to grow basil, zucchini and figs at the GroW Garden.

The takeaway

Composting seasonal produce such as Halloween pumpkins is a simple way to cut household waste and feed a garden. Check whether a local garden or campus program accepts pumpkins before tossing them.