Carving out a good time
October 24, 2024 at 2:11 a.m.
Every year since moving to Rye Brook in 2009, Jessica Yablow has opened her backyard to her neighbors for a Halloween celebration.
“It originally started as a nice thing for a small group of friends after we fell in love with our backyard,” she said. “And it kind of just grew from there after we became parents.”
Once Yablow’s children became old enough to need something to do during their gatherings, she incorporated pumpkins into the festivities.
“We started painting pumpkins first,” the Ridge Street Elementary School teacher said. “As the kids got older and I started inviting my students, we expanded into carving them. I think that’s when it started picking up steam.”
Bobbie Lane resident Owen Tepper, a 5-year-old kindergartner at Ridge Street Elementary School, excitedly scoops out his gourd’s innards to make room for a candle. The pumpkin party has seasonally taken over Crossway as an annual event for the last 15 years.By David Tapia
At this year’s Pumpkin Carving Party on Oct. 13, dozens of families from the Village and beyond made their way to Yablow’s home on Crossway to partake in its biggest iteration yet.
Yablow described the party as a combination of a block party and a potluck.
“People bring their own dishes, which is really helpful for me because I don’t think I’m that great of a cook,” she laughed. “But there’s also music and kids play together. And it’s a bring your own pumpkin kind of deal.”
The block party aspect is a recent development, stemming from a request several parents had made of her.
“This is the first year we actually had the street closed for it,” she said.
Her request to close the street was approved by the Rye Brook Board of Trustees at their regular meeting on Sept. 24.
“It was really just out of a sense of precaution,” she explained. “The party is in my backyard, but we were worried that kids crossing the street in the dark could be dangerous. So, I asked to have the street closed that day.”
Ridge Street Elementary School fourth-grader Lucas Adelson, 9, makes the first cut into his pumpkin as his friend, Caleb Fery, watches.By David Tapia
Attendees spread themselves out across the numerous tables set up in the space and helped themselves to the variety of tools Yablow gathered to assist with their carvings.
Some, like her friend Alex Pilavsky of Harrison, brought their own.
“I thought this would be helpful,” he laughed as he used an electric drywall cutter to easily slice through a gourd.
“That’s something that I love about this,” Yablow said at the event. “Everyone has fun with this, it’s not just the kids.”
Each year, a group of pumpkins are selected as highlights of the day by her children. Oren and Paige, her 12-year-old twins, distributed trophies for the five standout gourds, and the best overall, based on their judging.
This year, the honor of best pumpkin went to Casey Craighead, a 12-year-old resident of Sleepy Hollow Road, for her carving of a phoenix.
With the event now behind her, Yablow has already begun planning for the next one.
“I always say that the first of November is my favorite day of the year,” she said. “It’s when I start picking up decorations and supplies for the next one because it’s all much cheaper then. It’s what I’ve been doing for the last 15 years.”
Bellefair Road resident Kalani Lee poses with her small pumpkin house after it was named the most adorable by judges.Courtesy of Jessica Yablow
While this year’s party took place slightly earlier in the month than usual, it may become the new standard.
“The reason I had to have it be a little earlier is because of scheduling conflicts,” Yablow explained. “But I actually think it was far better. The weather was a little better and it meant that you could keep your pumpkin longer, which is good because a lot of effort goes into them.”
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