Denton County’s Great Pumpkin was set to be relocated unexpectedly this year until residents chimed in. Here’s what went down.
As someone who grew up in the 1990s, I’ve always had a deep desire to visit the town that leant its name to the 1998 Disney Channel movie “Halloweentown.” As soon as the main characters touched down in front of that giant pumpkin, I was immediately sold on the idea of visiting (or living) somewhere that similarly celebrated Halloween.
Many Denton residents may have had the same dream growing up, but the key difference is that they’ve been able to actually live in that version of reality the last three years thanks to the city’s Great Pumpkin installation. The enormous jack-o’-lantern adorns the lawn of Denton’s County Courthouse and acts as the centerpiece for its annual 31 Days of Halloween event.
It was this monthlong celebration that led Denton to being dubbed the Halloween Capital of Texas last year. Throughout the course of October, low-cost and free events are held downtown, boosting local businesses and bringing the community together to admire the elaborate decorations. There’s even an entire website dedicated to Denton Halloween.
Unfortunately, though, this year was filled with slightly more tricks than treats when the Denton County judge’s office declared that the jack-o’-lantern needed to be immediately removed from the courthouse lawn. According to mayoral candidate and former council member Brian Beck, “The county judge’s office has directed the city to remove our iconic jack-o’-lantern from the Courthouse Square lawn. The explanation reportedly offered? ‘The county doesn’t do Halloween.’”
After making the request, the Great Pumpkin was set to be relocated near the spooky graveyard outside of City Hall instead. It seemed like an odd request and an even stranger move, as Beck noted, “Our artists, businesses and public employees have built something that celebrates what makes Denton, Denton. Why is the county putting obstacles in their way?”
He stated that locals “deserve an actual explanation” for the unexpected change, and many residents agreed.
Residents lodged their complaints about the pumpkin’s relocation
Following the Denton County judge’s office’s decision to move the Great Pumpkin from the County Courthouse lawn to City Hall, many residents took to social media to voice their complaints about the seemingly unnecessary request. One Facebook user wrote, “I assumed there was some county pushback [which] is why none of the giant props were on the Square this year. We have a state designation as the Halloween Capital of Texas and this is the county seat. Hmm.”
Another resident chimed in, writing, “There’s gotta be better uses of government time than micromanaging a typical Halloween decoration in Denton. Can we have them all watch the movie Halloweentown? The pumpkin is the staple of the town. Let’s get a bigger one!” One individual put it plainly, saying, “It’s literally a squash.”
As outrage continued to grow, the director of community relations for Denton County, Dawn Cobb, announced that the Great Pumpkin could remain in place on the Courthouse Square. Cobb told the Record-Chronicle via email, “The pumpkin may be placed on the Square as desired. We will accommodate this year’s event and ask that the City coordinate with the County in advance when planning future events or activities on County property.”
When it became apparent that Denton’s 31 Days of Halloween could proceed without further interruption, Brian Beck posted an update on Facebook for those who had vocalized their unhappiness over the sudden change. He wrote, “I appreciate Denton County listening to the citizens and being responsive and flexible and I appreciate all of you in the community that helped focus attention on this oversight.”
Beck added, “Thank you to everyone involved and it just goes to show what can occur when we all pull together.” And, in my humble opinion, it serves as proof of how we all want to live in a fun, fictional world, or something as close to it as we possibly can.
