ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — With Halloween just three weeks away, the City of Rock Island kicked off the holiday season with its fifth annual "Holey Stumpkins" event. Hosted at the Black Hawk State Historic Site, this unique celebration brings families together for pumpkin carving and a special tradition of burning "stumpkins," which are stumps collected from hollowed or knocked-down trees throughout the year and carved to resemble faces.
Families can purchase a stumpkin for $25, with proceeds supporting educational programming at the historic site.
Julie Nelson, a site service specialist at Black Hawk State Historic Site, described the event as a festive gathering where familiar faces return each year.
“There’s a handful of people, definitely familiar faces, that get really into it. They bring a lot of accessories and tools to carve their pumpkins,” Nelson said.
One of those regular participants is Nolan Paxton, a father from Geneseo, who returned with his daughter after attending the event two years ago. He shared their excitement about taking part in the carving contest again.
“We actually had this on our calendar three weeks ago because my daughter really wanted to take part in the carving,” Paxton said.
The event features a pumpkin carving contest where the winner gets first pick from the pile of stumpkins. Paxton’s daughter eagerly signed up to participate again this year.
For Nelson, watching children enjoy the messy fun of pumpkin carving is a highlight.
“Some of my favorite things are seeing young kids getting to stick their hands in pumpkin gunk and have fun like that,” she said.
Last year, the event raised over $200 from stumpkin donations. The event is free to attend each year, and is open to the public, welcoming families for a day of spooky fun and community spirit.