What is a Pumpkin Prowl?

For the history of how Pumpkin Prowl came to be, click on the ‘History’ tab at the top of this site or click here. To find out who Kate Andrus was, click here.

Pumpkin Prowl is an alternative to or a second Halloween. It was created for a specific need but in the end, any and all are welcome to attend.

Whether it’s parenting time sharing for separated families, work schedules, or other reasons one parent isn’t able to spend Halloween with their child, grandchild, niece, nephew, etc., Pumpkin Prowl is a fast growing alternative to the big day itself.

Pumpkin Prowl is held on a weekend evening a week or two before Halloween (date announced no later than April 1st each year). We start the evening off at Belview Park where we play games, do crafts, and enjoy other entertainment before finally heading out into the local neighbourhood to knock on participating house doors just like it was Halloween. 

Our awesome neighbours have been opening their doors twice a year since our inception in 2014 to help us provide a Hallowen-like experience for adults and kids alike. We walk in groups rather than parade-like now that we have grown so much, and have been blessed each year to be joined by a special super hero or two courtesy of Penny Pincher Costumes Inc., who lead the charge throughout the entire parade route with us.

Houses that wish to participate along parts of Belview, Kensington, and Rossylyn, between Campbell and Barton, post the flyer we hand out to them in their window with the pumpkin side showing, to let trick-or-treaters know which houses to knock on. We now also put lawn signs out to make it even easier to spot our participating homes. We supply the candy ahead of time so homes aren’t expected to provide candy for two Halloweens. This candy (and some candy alternatives for kids with allergies), are sometimes donated by the home owners, and the rest is courtesy of our very giving small business community. Trick-or-treat bags are supplied for all kids as well.

For participating homes, all they have to do is be home between 6:30pm when the parade starts from Belview Park, until the last child has visited which would usually be around 8:30pm. See the events tab on our Facebook Page for more on the current years event.

Pumpkin Prowl started with 20 kids in 2014, and has doubled each year. At the time of writing this in 2017, we were up to 250 kids and their families attending our event.

Every year more and more vendors come on board and the monetary and time donations also continue to amaze us.

Our kids help us deliver over 1,000 flyers throughout the community, dressed up in costume and arguing who is going to deliver to which house. It’s a lot of work each year but how this has brought our family and the broader community together is worth every minute of planning.

We are always looking for suggestions to make this event even better. Hosting this event has opened our eyes to the passion for Halloween in our community. It seems there can never be enough opportunities to get dressed up and let our imaginations run wild.

Happy Halloween from your Kate Andrus Pumpkin Prowl team.