Reiman Gardens Hosted Spirits in the Garden Event

The annual Ames tradition featured an extensive display of 1,200 carved pumpkins.

Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Seasonal Events

Reiman Gardens Hosted Spirits in the Garden Event

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Reiman Gardens brought the community together for the Spirits in the Garden event this weekend. The botanical garden showcased 1,200 unique carved pumpkins to celebrate the Halloween season.

Why it matters

The massive scale of the display requires a significant volunteer effort to organize, trace, and carve thousands of individual pumpkins. This large-scale community collaboration supports local horticultural efforts while providing a seasonal attraction for Ames residents.

The display features 1,200 carved pumpkins, with half supplied by the Iowa State Horticulture farm. Since the tradition began in 2015, the preparation process has grown to include 1,000 hours of volunteer labor for tracing designs in a single week.

The players

Reiman Gardens

This botanical garden serves as a research and educational facility located in Ames.

Iowa State Horticulture Farm

This agricultural facility supports university research and provides produce for campus and community events.

Iowa State University Student Health and Wellness

This university department provides health resources and organized a pumpkin smash event in partnership with the garden.

The details

Preparation for the display is a logistical undertaking that involves stencil organization, tracing, gutting, and carving. Volunteers perform the intensive work of gutting by utilizing power drills to access the pumpkin interiors before carving designs into the sides.

Planning for the event begins annually in July.
Tracing of the pumpkin designs commenced two weeks before the event.
Gutting of the pumpkins started on Wednesday.
The Spirits in the Garden event occurred from October 9, 2026, to October 11, 2026.

Industry Dynamics

The 2026 event follows the growth pattern established by the 2015 inception of the Reiman Gardens pumpkin display. This expansion demonstrates a trend of botanical gardens scaling seasonal community activities to increase public engagement.

Residents could visit the display during the three-day event to view the pumpkin arrangements. Interested participants also had the opportunity to join the volunteer force for two-hour shifts to assist in the carving process.

The takeaway

Large-scale community events rely on highly structured volunteer pipelines to succeed. Organizing early and standardizing the labor process allows local institutions to manage hundreds of hours of work efficiently.