After the last trick-or-treaters had cleared, and homes swiftly began swapping out their Halloween animatronics for Christmas décor, the question arose: what to do with the pumpkin sitting on the front stoop.
Its orange skin was already shriveling, the toothy grin was becoming gummier by the hour, and it wouldn’t be long before the hollow flesh began caving in to rot.
Thankfully, the Maryland Science Center had a proposition: bring us your jack-o-lanterns and we’ll give them a smashing send-off.
With gourds in tow, Baltimore residents gathered Saturday outside the science center to bid farewell to the fruit.
Some brought carved creations, while others’ offerings were still whole. Regardless, science center employees took the pumpkins to measure and ready them for rapid descent.
Pumpkins could be no larger than 15.5 inches in diameter to fit through the drop tube on the science center’s roof. (Those that were too big were put off to the side to be composted by Baltimore-area vendor Waste Neutral.)
One by one, pumpkins were dropped off the roof to meet their end with a satisfying splat four stories below.
In the 11 a.m. hour (there was another drop at 12 p.m.), approximatley 84 pumpkins were dropped.
See the action in this photo gallery by Carl Schmidt of Federal Hill Photography LLC:
Pumpkins at the drop off table. Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Val Sullivan, left , Marketing Manager at the Maryland Science Center and Catherine Morrill, volunteer at the Maryland Science Center, measure the diameter of a pumpkin. Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Pumpkins at the drop off table. Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Teddy Pavlis, left, volunteer at Maryland Science Center and Alex Dramis, Marketing Assistant at Maryland Science Center, separate pumpkins into a group destined for composting and another for dropping off the roof. Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Linda Gunn, left, seated, employee of the Maryland Science Center and Catherine Morrill, right, volunteer at the Maryland Science Center, measure the diameter of a pumpkin dropped off by Alex Knapp, center, of Baltimore, Maryland. Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Gail Mix, of Hudson Ohio, drops of two pumpkins. Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Skyler Einberger, 4 1/2, of Washington, D.C., drops off pumpkins. Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Gregory Oshel, right, and daughter Arabella, 8, of Halethorpe, Maryland drop off pumpkins. Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Kelly DeLuca, left, of Forrest Hill, Maryland photographs daughter Sofia, 8, pink jacket and son Wyatt, 4, sunglasses, with husband Thomas, right. Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Tony Waters, 6, of Damascus, Maryland drops off a pumpkin. Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Crowd reacts during the pumpkin smash. Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Crowd reacts during the pumpkin smash. Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Crowd reacts during the pumpkin smash. Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC) Pumpkin Smash at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland. (Credit: Carl Schmidt/Federal Hill Photography, LLC)
