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Oh. My. Gourd. It's giant pumpkins being carved in Burnaby

It all started with some soil. A man named Jeff Pelletier bought some soil off of Stephen Beattie from It’s About Thyme Nursery in south Burnaby – and used it to grow a 300-pound pumpkin. “This thing was incredible,” says Beattie.
gourd
Jeff Pelletier with two of his giant pumpkins.

It all started with some soil.

A man named Jeff Pelletier bought some soil off of Stephen Beattie from It’s About Thyme Nursery in south Burnaby – and used it to grow a 300-pound pumpkin.

“This thing was incredible,” says Beattie. “Now the pumpkins are like 900 pounds. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

So what does somebody do with a 900-pound pumpkin, other than make thousands of pies.

Well, the pumpkins get carved up each year at Beattie’s nursery during a public event. This year’s event is on Sunday, Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 7509 Meadow Ave., in Burnaby.

The event is the Harvest Day Party and professional carvers will be on hand carving up the giant gourds into cool things like skulls. Pumpkins – much-smaller ones – will also be on sale.

“People can just drop on by and watch these pros do their things,” Beattie said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”