ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) — In a Nob Hill neighborhood, there are over 300 pumpkin carvings featuring everything from historic figures to pop culture characters. It’s a craft the homeowner has been taking part in every Halloween for a little over 25 years.
Alana Mattingly is Vermont-born and Albuquerque-raised. When she moved into her current Nob Hill home over two decades ago, she started up the tradition in her own front yard. SpongeBob SquarePants, Dolly Parton, Jack Sparrow, and many, many more light up in various neon colors across Mattingly’s lawn. The site is something young and older locals alike have found childlike joy in.
“They’re like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God.’ One time there were some teenagers driving… I could hear from the car, these people going, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God,’ all the way down the street, and then they came back around,” said Mattingly. “And again, I heard that, and I just kind of chuckled to myself… [The pumpkins] are time-consuming.”
The pumpkins are made of foam, as Mattingly says, the dry New Mexico weather makes it difficult to keep real pumpkins thriving through the entire month of October. Nonetheless, it’s a process that can take Mattingly anywhere from a full day, to nearly a week. To her, the craft is worth it – so much so that she’s almost run out of space for more pumpkins…