Annual Painted Pumpkin Walk Returns To Downtown Chatham

CHATHAM, NJ — Fall brings cooler weather, pumpkin spice, spooky costumes and the Chatham High School National Art Honor Society’s third annual “Painted Pumpkin Walk” in downtown Chatham.

Student-artists have once again conceived and crafted painted pumpkin artworks that are displayed in downtown Chatham businesses along Main Street and South Passaic Avenue.

Designs were sprayed on foam pumpkins thanks to a grant from the Chatham Education Association, allowing the art to be maintained and displayed for years to come. This year's themes include well-known figures such as Coraline and the Lorax, eerily undead zombies and mummies, and lighter, brighter floral designs for the holidays.

The pumpkin displays serve another role, in that they're also part of a downtown scavenger hunt through Halloween weekend.

While enjoying the pumpkins, the scavenger hunt entails a hidden message to be unscrambled from letter clues within each display in downtown shops, with the pumpkins visible even when stores are closed.

Those who submit correct responses to the word scramble will be in the running for a gift basket raffle from T.M. Ward.

The pumpkins will be displayed in prominent downtown windows throughout the Halloween season. Entries will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Kiera Spadaro and Eric Hreha, art teachers at Chatham High School and NAHS advisers, said they like organizing this event to exhibit the excellent art students and promote the patronage of Chatham businesses.

"Bringing art and community together is one of the primary goals of the National Art Honor Society," officials said.