iDig2Learn, Big Reuse And Community Partners Invite You To The Great Roosevelt Island Pumpkin Event Saturday November 4 At Manhattan Park Upper Lawn - Bring Your Pumpkin To Explore It's Afterlife As Delicious Edible Food Source, Scoop Seeds And Compost

Roosevelt Island resident and iDig2Learn founder Christina Delfico reports:

For 2023, iDig2Learn – along with Big Reuse (funded by New York City Council Member Julie Menin) and many local partners including Green Roosevelt Island Neighbors (GRIN) and the Roosevelt Island Garden Club – is thrilled to host an expanded annual post-Halloween pumpkin event. During this spooky season, the Great Pumpkin Event will help participants explore the pumpkin’s afterlife – offering pumpkin smooshing to turn these squashes into compost. And new this year, per community feedback, is the addition of several activities to spotlight the pumpkin’s many edible uses.

Pumpkins are treasured globally – cuisines from Africa, Asia, and the Americas use this squash as a valued and delicious food source. In the United States, the pumpkin’s popularity translates into one billion pumpkins going to landfills each year. Given this, iDig2Learn has expanded the event to offer more options for post-Halloween pumpkins. Nneji restaurant owner, Roosevelt Island resident Beatrice Ajaero, will help us celebrate the pumpkin's many uses as food by preparing egusi, fonio and savory pumpkin hand pies to take-away (while supplies last) in exchange for people’s pumpkins. Additionally, participants will be able to trade pumpkins for cookies from Wengerd’s Farm or a locally baked piece of cake.

Everyone is invited to come to the event and bring their pumpkins with them. Please first visit the “Pumpkin Determination Station'' to see if your pumpkin has a new life. Whether it is mushy and only compostable, scoopable for seeds, edible or in need of paint and sticker removal, there are more options this year. The Roosevelt Island Plogging Club will scoop seeds at the event and local Girl Scouts will capture pumpkins to make pumpkin cake. Both the seeds and cake will be distributed for free for the community to enjoy the following Saturday at the    food scrap drop-off (November 11, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in the usual compost drop-off spot behind the Chapel of the Good Shepherd).

The young and young-at-heart can also try the "leaf crunch" pile (falling into a pile of leaves) before those leaves become compost to feed island soils in the near future. Don’t have a pumpkin? No worries, you're welcome to enjoy a coffee from Foodtown and visit the Food Appreciation station!

Community feedback inspired us to boost this annual event’s activities and feature the pumpkin as a revered global food source, Diverting pumpkins from landfills is important. And equally vital is learning how to put food into bellies first, before placing food scraps into bins for compost. We are grateful to our neighbors who will be generously sharing more with us about the pumpkin’s many flavorful uses.

"I am proud to sponsor The Great Pumpkin Event on Roosevelt Island, a celebration that promotes sustainability beyond the harvest season. Redistributing edible pumpkins, which will be transformed into delectable creations, brings a second life to pumpkins and prevents them from going to landfills. Organic waste can be reused, further reducing our environmental impact,” said New York City Council Member Julie Menin.

“As a former classroom teacher, curiosity and mindfulness around sustainability makes all the difference,” offered Anneliese Zausner-Mannes, education director, Big Reuse. “Hosting community engagement events like this creates an opportunity for everyone to come together, to share and shine.”

"Nneji is thrilled to provide egusi, fonio, and savory hand pies for the Great Pumpkin Event to spotlight the versatility of the pumpkin as food," said Nneji restaurant owner, Beatrice Ajaero.

"We are focusing first on food for this free festival," stated Anthony Longo, co-founder of GRIN. He continued, "You’ll find a few fun ways to foster further pumpkin fever, smashing some, but also feeding folks first.” "Composting brings connections," emphasized Julia Ferguson from the Roosevelt Island Garden Club. "Food scraps and garden materials are natural resources that can boost soil health and reduce pollution. This year we will be further reducing waste and wastefulness, connecting to food and life by celebrating pumpkins."

“Girl Scouts host fun days that engage local groups for community service projects,” shared Aiesha Eleusizov, leader, Girl Scout Troop 3001. “This year we are collaborating with iDig2learn to capture Halloween pumpkins. With them, we will make pumpkin cakes to give back to the community on the Saturday following the event at the Haki Compost area.”

“It gives Manhattan Park great pleasure and we are honored to participate in this wonderful annual event with iDig2Learn,” said Brian Weisberg, director of property management, GRC Realty, Manhattan Park.

WHAT: Great Pumpkin Event – several activities will be offered, including the “Pumpkin Determination Station,” food trade, squashing pumpkins for compost, leaf crunch and more.

WHEN: November 4th, 2023 – 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (rain or shine*) Volunteers, please note: setup is 10:00-11:00 a.m.; wrap-up is 2:00-3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Manhattan Park, 30 River Road, New York, NY 10044 – on the street level, central park upper lawn (across from Foodtown)

If raining: Motorgate Garage elevator ground floor lobby iDig2Learn is grateful to its many partners who are supporting this event: RIOC, Big Reuse (funded by New York City Council Member Julie Menin), Manhattan Park, GRIN, Roosevelt Island Garden Club, Haki Compost Collective, Foodtown, Girl Scouts, Roosevelt Island Plogging Club, Coach Scot’s Baseball Team, Wengerd’s Farm, Andrea Jackson and numerous local student and master composter volunteers.