Pumpkin Lantern Making Competition

How do we take part?

The aim is to create a magical glowing pumpkin garden gallery at the Forest Lodge. In order to do this we need you to make pumpkin lanterns!

There are 2 ways you can take part.   1. Make a pumpkin lantern at home.

2. Join a lantern making workshop at the park.

1. Making a pumpkin lantern at home.

You can carve and make as many pumpkin lanterns as you like to enter into our competition. More the better! Simply bring your completed lanterns (with light if possible) to the Forest Lodge at Porthkerry Country Park to be added to the outdoor gallery.

You can drop off your lanterns to staff at the Forest lodge on the following days and times:

Saturday 30th October: between 11am and 7pm

Sunday 31st October: between 11am and 4pm

All the lanterns will be lit up and displayed on both evenings between 5pm and 7pm and the winners announced at 7:30pm on Sunday 31st October at the Forest Lodge.     2. Join a lantern making pumpkin at the park.

The Forest lodge at Porthkerry Country Park will be opened as a workshop for you to bring along your own fresh pumpkins to carve into pumpkin lanterns using our tool stations. The workshop will be staffed by Beach Academy to help you. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.    Spaces are strictly limited at the Forest Lodge so please be patient and we will not have pumpkins there for you to use, please bring your own. The Forest Lodge workshops will be open from 10:30am to 4:30pm on both Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st October.

Once you have completed your pumpkin lantern you can add it to our outdoor garden gallery. All the lanterns will be lit up and displayed on both evenings between 5pm and 7pm and the winners announced at 7:30pm on Sunday 31st October at the Forest Lodge.    

How will the pumpkin lanterns be judged?

If you wish to enter the lantern making competition, you will be given a number. The lanterns will be judged between 5 and 7pm on Sunday 31st October by a panel made up of staff from Beach Academy, Porthkerry Country Park Ranger Service, Mrs Marcos Cafe and the Vale Council Events Team.

Winners will be announced at 7:30pm on Sunday 31st October at the Forest Lodge and the prize winner awarded our Golden Pumpkin Trophy.

Can I bring, or make, a lantern to add to the Forest Lodge Gallery but not enter the competition?

Yes of course - Only lanterns with numbers will be judged. If you change your mind on the day, pop to the Beach Academy welcome desk and we can give you a competition number.