ILKLEY is set for some pumpkin-filled fun this October half term as Ilkley Business Improvement District (BID) launches the first Discover Ilkley Pumpkin Festival, running from Friday, October 23 to Sunday, November 1, 2026.
The new festival promises plenty of free family-friendly activities, including professional pumpkin carving, creative workshops and a town-wide Pumpkin Trail, all designed to bring some Halloween magic to Ilkley and encourage residents and visitors to explore the town.
The highlight of the festival will be a special day of free pumpkin-themed activities at Canker Well on The Grove on Wednesday, October 28, from 10.30am to 4pm.
Visitors will be able to watch professional pumpkin carvers at work, get creative in free pumpkin lantern-making workshops running throughout the day and visit the Pumpkin Patch to choose their own pumpkin to carve.
There will also be Halloween-themed backdrops, providing the perfect setting for some fabulously spooky family photographs.
The pumpkin carving activities will be led by Sand In Your Eye, a Hebden Bridge-based creative company renowned for its talented team of artists, sculptors and workshop specialists, whose work is currently featured on the BBC television programme ‘Race Against the Tide’.
A spokesperson for Sand In Your Eye said: “As professional pumpkin carvers, this is our time to shine.
"We live and breathe autumn.
"While many see a pumpkin and think of a simple, two-eyed jack-o’-lantern, we see a blank canvas and an opportunity to create a glowing, temporary work of art that can stop people in their tracks.
“We can carve all manners of different pumpkins, and our work goes far beyond simply cutting a hole.
"Our artists are skilled in etching, shading, 3D sculpting, and precise stencil work.
The only limit is imagination.”
All activities are free and no booking is required – families can simply turn up and join in the fun.
The Halloween celebrations will extend beyond Canker Well, with local businesses joining in the fun through a special Pumpkin Trail running throughout the festival.
Participating businesses will each create and display their own carved pumpkin, inviting families to follow the trail around Ilkley, discover their imaginative creations and explore the town's independent shops and businesses along the way.
Those taking part and finding all the pumpkins will also have the chance to win a £50 Ilkley Gift Card.
Pumpkin Trail forms can be downloaded from the Discover Ilkley website or collected from Nora’s Interiors & Gifts on The Grove, Games Crusade in The Grove Promenade and Moor Fruit & Veg on Leeds Road.
Sarah Brookfield-Almond, Ilkley BID Manager, said: “Following feedback from our BID businesses about the importance of events and activities that encourage people into the town centre, we're delighted to introduce the Pumpkin Festival as a new addition to our seasonal events programme.
“We've designed the festival to give families something fun and free to enjoy during half term, while encouraging them to explore Ilkley and support our local businesses.
“We hope lots of residents and visitors will come along to enjoy the pumpkin carving activities with the incredibly talented team from Sand In Your Eye, and have fun discovering the wonderful creations on display as part of our Pumpkin Trail.
“We're really looking forward to bringing some Halloween magic to Ilkley and hope the Pumpkin Festival will become a much-loved annual event in the town's calendar.”
Ilkley BID would like to thank Ilkley Town Council for its generous grant towards the pumpkin carving event and Booths and Tesco’s for kindly donating pumpkins for the pumpkin patch.
Businesses taking part in the Pumpkin Trail include: Bar T’at, Fat Face, Friends of Ham, Fuggle & Golding, Games Crusade, Ilkley Dental Centre, J Reserve, Moor Fruit & Veg, Nora’s, Outdoor Living Gardens, Porters, The Art Shop, The Foot Company, The Green Room, Three Little Birds, Traditional Sweet Shop and Wharfedale Fine Cheeses.
For more information about the Discover Ilkley Pumpkin Festival, visit www.discoverilkley.co.uk.
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