One Topeka family is bringing the community together this Halloween.
For the past 21 years, Greg and Linda Laird have opened their Potwin Neighborhood home to family, friends and neigbhors, trying to carve and display over 200 pumpkins before Halloween.
You have the option to use stencils or create your own designs
“It’s really fun to just let everyone be as creative as they want to be,” pumpkin carver Linda Laird said. “If the kids come up with an idea, just to let them freehand it and do what they want to do.”
Each night, the Laird’s provide a meal as a way to show their gratitude.
“Just to let them know our gratitude, you know, how grateful we are that they came, took time to come over and carve.”
For the Laird’s, it’s about bringing the childhood magic of Halloween to life.
“We started because we love Halloween, we love seeing all the trick-or-treaters, and I know people don’t believe me when I tell them, but we get over 2,000 trick-or-treaters every Halloween,” Laird said. “Even older people, my age, they like to come because they fell like a kid again, you know? You’re carving a jack-o-lantern, and you feel like you’re young. It’s just exciting and fun to do.”
This year, the goal is to have 225 pumpkins carved by Halloween.
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