Carving with style and on a grand scale, jack-o’-lantern artists and aficionados gathered Saturday in Freeport for Camp Sunshine’s annual Pumpkin Festival.
The fundraising event for the Casco camp, a retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families, featured 5,000 pumpkins carved and displayed in L.L. Bean’s Discovery Park.
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Local schools provided much of the artistic talent, with staff and students from Freeport High School creating 1,000 jack-o’-lanterns and Lake Region High School students carving hearts in 400 pumpkins.
“The hearts in the pumpkins remind people of the amazing work Camp Sunshine does,” said Michael Smith, the camp’s director of special events.
Etching by Windham High students turned pumpkins into a field of sunflowers, while the art department from Westbrook High created an underwater scene with the gourds.
Visitors could contribute to the festival by entering a carving contest for $10. There was also a Corporate Carving Challenge for local businesses and family groups.
Adding to the day was a performance by Zach Pomerleau, a 17-year-old blues singer who once benefited from the services of Camp Sunshine.
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