This year, Halloween enthusiasts have an opportunity to add a piece of of local history to their spooky display.
The pumpkins from the Pumpkin Art display, traditionally put on by the Oak Bay Business Improvement Association, go up for sale on Oct. 19.
"We’ve come to the point where we'd like to see these enjoyed in the community again rather than sitting in our storage so all of the themed pumpkins like The Beatles and Spongebob, the royal family, Star Trek, Star Wars, they'll be up for sale so people can buy them and people can use them year after year and be enjoyed in the community. So we're hoping instead of a big display in the back of city hall it'll be a big community-wide display people can add to,” BIA marketing and events manager Heather Leary, said. “We haven’t been able to hold this event for several years and it seemed a much better use of them to have people in the neighbourhood display them than to have them sitting in storage. This way they can again be enjoyed by people year after year and truly appreciated.”
The collection, then in the range of 600 carved faux pumpkins, was purchased a decade ago from artist John Vickers, who spent the previous 17 years carving gourds to build the collection. It originally started with his first pumpkin featuring Christmas lights in front of his home, he told the Oak Bay News in 2014.
At that time Vickers estimated his annual Halloween Pumpkin Art display had raised more than $200,000 for various charities.
Pumpkin Art firs debuted in Oak Bay Village in 2010 when a selection was displayed in stores as a preview to the major Pumpkin Art display at the Victoria Truth Centre that year. In 2011 the display moved to Oak Bay and was displayed annually to 2018. Proceeds have supported Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock, Canadian Cancer Society and Oak Bay Kiwanis who used the funds to support their Eliminate Project to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus, Threshold Housing’s Mitchell House and Oak Bay Sea Rescue.
Several of the spooky pieces of artwork will remain in the village collection making their appearances on the lamp standards along Oak Bay Avenue ahead of Halloween.
Dozens of portraits are among the carved pumpkins including local politicians, Oak Bay councillors Hazel Braithwaite and Cairine Green, who purchased those in their own likeness.
Green bought the portrait pumpkin for her grandchildren, aged 6 and 9 who she took to the display when they were younger.
“I think they’ll be excited,” she said.
Braithwaite is confident her three-month-old grandchild won’t care, but still felt compelled to buy her likeness.
“I don’t think anybody else would want it and I want to support the BIA, and maybe my husband will like it, I’m not sure.”
Leary said she likely won’t sell pumpkin portraits to anyone other than their subjects, but there are plenty of characters, including Charlie Brown and the gang from Peanuts among others.
The sale runs Oct. 19 from noon to 4 p.m. behind municipal hall at 2167 Oak Bay Ave. It's is available online at https://www.visitoakbayvillage.ca/.
All sales are cash only. There are also black milk crates for sale for $5 each. Email oakbaybia@gmail.com for more information.
The BIA also hosts its annual Trick or Treat on the Avenue on Oct. 31 from 2 to 5 p.m. with trick or treating in shops from from Foul Bay Road to Monterey Avenue.
Entertainment includes live music, street entertainment, a photo booth, pet costume contest at 4 p.m. and the chance to spray a target with a real fire hose.
