12. Smash It, Don’t Trash It: Pumpkin Smash at Hudson River Park
Photograph by Max Guliani for Hudson River Park
After you have enjoyed all of the exciting Halloween events in NYC, you can vent some of your 2020 frustration at the third annual Pumpkin Smash at Chelsea Waterside Park. This socially distanced gathering on Saturday, November 7th from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM allows New Yorkers to let off some steam, while also being environmentally conscious. Instead of just throwing out your Halloween pumpkins and sending them to the landfill, bring them to this event where they will be composted. The pumpkin smash follows the reopening of the compost site at Hudson River Park, currently the largest composting site in the city. In total, the Park collected approximately 86,000 pounds of food scraps from the local community in 2019 including more than 2,000 pounds of pumpkins from last year’s smash.
To keep everyone safe, all attendees must register in advance to secure a spot and will receive a timed entry. Although participation is limited this year, families are encouraged to drop off their pumpkins starting Monday, November 2nd, at either Pier 40 or Chelsea Waterside Park at W. 23 St, which are two of ten composting sites located throughout the Park.
