Pumpkin Festival

Join us on Saturday 26th October, 10am – 4pm when our annual Pumpkin Festival will be back with a bang!

Get creative with pumpkin carving, led by Jim Parkyn (formerly of Aardman Animations). Enjoy Morris dancing from Bounds of Selwood, and we welcome back The Brass Junkies, who will be playing great tunes for you to relax and dance to. Jenna Doodles & Singaling will be back with pumpkin-themed activities for kids, while the whole family can enjoy lawn games and face painting. Help The Lost Giants build a large, folklore-inspired giant in the Radić Pavilion and make an Oudolf Field-inspired flower crown or printed flag. 

Dress up and join our procession through the garden at 3pm. Lead by the giant, we’ll end in the Farmyard for a final celebration.

We’ll be serving up dishes cooked over our signature fire pits, along with a tempting variety of seasonal spiced drinks. Plus, don’t miss our competitions for the best-dressed guest and quirkiest pumpkin—find more details below.

You can also explore the Hauser & Wirth Somerset exhibition ‘Phyllida Barlow. unscripted’ from 12pm and Oudolf Field in its autumn glory from 10am. The Education Lab, ‘Open Art School,’ will also be open from 12pm.

Our charity partner for 2024-2025, Good Company Bruton, will be on-site raising awareness about their work in supporting causes that bring people together, as well as providing more information about Brue Larder.

Roth Bar will be open from 10am serving drinks and Da Costa for lunch from 12pm. Join us at the Roth Bar after the festival where DJ Ross Wilson will be on the decks from 4pm.

Tickets are free, but we ask that you register in advance, with a suggested £3 donation to our charity partner. All funds raised will benefit local food bank Brue Larder.

Competitions

Best costume
Our theme for our 2024 Pumpkin Festival is HARVEST! Try your hand at creating a harvest themed outfit for our best costume competition, although all costumes are welcome. Our judges will be roaming around on the day in search of the best costume. Make sure to join the procession at 3pm to show off your costume.

Quirkiest pumpkin
Whether in its natural form or dressed up for the occasion, let’s celebrate the weird and wonderful gourds of the season and bring along your quirkiest pumpkin. Squashes, marrows and other gourds welcome too!

Best carved pumpkin
Bring your own masterpiece from home or be guided on the day by the brilliant Jim Parkyn to carve your own pumpkin design. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Drop your pumpkin and gourd entries off in the marquee before 3pm on the day. All winners and runners up will be announced in our prize giving at 4pm in the marquee.

Please be advised that photographs will be taken at this event for use on the Roth Bar website, social media and in other marketing materials.