The Oxford Pumpkin Festival is back again for its 5th year, from 27th Oct to 4th Nov 2018. October is the time of year when we celebrate the humble pumpkin and “squash food waste” by encouraging people to eat rather than discard their Halloween pumpkin’s flesh. The message is simple: Carve it, Cook it, Eat it – Don’t bin it! What’s scarier than witches, ghosts and ghouls at Halloween? How about the 18,000 tonnes of edible pumpkin that end up in the bin each year. That’s the same weight as 1,500 double decker buses! The Oxford Pumpkin Festival is a celebration of food: creatively encouraging people to think about the food they throw away, challenging preconceptions and teaching new skills. With thanks to Oxfordshire Recycles. Check out our free pumpkin recipes and tips to help you reduce your food waste. And keep up-to-date on Twitter with what’s happening throughout the festival: #PumpkinRescue

2018 Pumpkin Festival Programme

Saturday 27th October to Sunday 4th November

• Pumpkin week at The White Hart, Fyfield Times: Food served Tuesday to Thursday lunch: 12-2pm and dinner: 6-9pm. Friday lunch: 12-2pm and dinner: 6-9:30pm. Saturday lunch: 12-2:30pm and dinner: 6-9:30pm. Sunday lunch: 12-3:30pm. Closed Mondays except bank holidays. Venue: The White Hart, Fyfield Registration: Bookings advisable The White Hart at Fyfield are back with their fantastic locally-sourced menu taking a pumpkin turn for this week. You can expect produce from their kitchen garden cooked to perfection by chef Mark Chandler and his talented team. The White Hart will be sending out pumpkin recipes to their newsletter subscribers encouraging them to cook and enjoy their pumpkin rather than throw it away.
• Pumpkin Festival at Silvie Times: Mon-Thu: 8am-5pm, Fri & Sat: 8am-10pm, Sun: 9am-4pm Venue: Silvie, Oxford Silvie will be demonstrating the use of pumpkins and other squashes in both savoury and sweet offerings on their menu and counter throughout the festival period.

Saturday 27th October

• East Oxford Farmers’ and Community Market Times: 10am – 1pm Venue: East Oxford Primary School, Oxford Cost: FREE to attend Registration: Just turn up! Get your locally grown pumpkins and squashes straight from the farm at East Oxford Farmers’ & Community Market and find out how to make good use of them at the market cafe.

Saturday 27th October to Sunday 28th October

• Sandy Lane Farm Pumpkin & Squash Celebration Times: 10am – 3pm Venue: Sandy Lane Farm Cost: Free Registration: Just turn up! Celebrate the bumper harvest of pumpkins & squash at Sandy Lane Farm this autumn. See our display & choose from 29 different varieties. The farm shop will be open & fresh coffee, cake & BBQ all available.

Sunday 28th October

• South Oxford Farmers’ and Community Market Times: 9.30am – 12pm Venue: South Oxford Community Centre, Oxford Cost: FREE to attend Registration: Just turn up! Buy your seasonal squash and pick up pumpkin cooking tips.
• Wolvercote Farmers Market Times: 10am – 1pm Venue: The White Hart Community Pub, Wolvercote Cost: FREE to attend Registration: Just turn up! Buy your seasonal squash and pick up pumpkin cooking tips.

Monday 29th October to Saturday 3rd November

• Pumpkin Menu at Turl Street Kitchen Times: 5pm to 10.30pm Venue: Turl Street Kitchen Registration: Bookings advisable The chefs at TSK have been busily inventing creative ways to use pumpkin, and this evening if you go for dinner you’ll be able to choose a pumpkin-themed! TSK focuses on locally-sourced produce and independent drink makers, and all their profits go to support their sister charity, Oxford Hub. What’s not to love?

Wednesday 31st October

• Donnington Doorstep Pumpkin Party Times: 10am – 3pm Venue: Donnington Doorstep, Oxford Cost: FREE but donations on arrival gratefully received, and there will be a small charge for some activities (see below) Registration: Just turn up! Visit Donnington Doorstep Family Centre for a day of autumnal fun. Pumpkin carving (£2), face painting (£1) and a camp fire in the garden with all the added fund of a drop in! Lunch served at 12pm.
• Cassington Anaerobic Digestion Plant Tour Times: 10.30am – 12noon Venue: Cassington Anaerobic Digestion Plant Cost: FREE Registration: Booking required – email waste.management@oxfordshire.gov.uk Want to see how Oxfordshire’s food waste is turned into energy for over 8,000 homes and fertiliser for local farms? Don’t miss this fascinating tour behind the scenes of Agrivert’s anaerobic digestion plant near Cassington! Spaces are limited and advance booking is essential. You will need to make your own way there and unfortunately there is no public transport.

Saturday 3rd November

• East Oxford Farmers’ and Community Market Times: 10am – 1pm Venue: East Oxford Primary School, Oxford Cost: FREE to attend Registration: Just turn up! Get your locally grown pumpkins and squashes straight from the farm at East Oxford Farmers’ & Community Market and find out how to make good use of them at the market cafe.
• Disco Soup Oxford Times: 11pm – 3pm, volunteers needed 9:30 am – 5:30pm Venue: Bonn Square, opposite #WestgateShopping Centre Oxford Cost: FREE Registration: Turn up and eat and enjoy the music, or why not get stuck in chopping & helping serving free food for all on the streets! Dance to the music, the BEETs and all the other perfectly edible surplus veg and fruit that we have rescued; to cook up into a FREE PUMPKIN FEAST for all!

Sunday 4th November

• Oxford Vegan Market Times: 10.30am – 4pm Venue: Oxford Town Hall Cost: FREE to attend Registration: Just turn up! A market featuring a huge array of vegan food and lifestyle stalls, providing information on how to follow a more sustainable and ethical diet. https://www.veganmarkets.co.uk/oxford  Facebook: Oxford Vegan Market
• South Oxford Farmers’ and Community Market Times: 9.30am – 12pm Venue: South Oxford Community Centre, Oxford Cost: FREE to attend Registration: Just turn up! Buy your seasonal squash and pick up pumpkin cooking tips.
• Wolvercote Farmers Market Times: 10am – 1pm Venue: The White Hart Community Pub, Wolvercote Cost: FREE to attend Registration: Just turn up! Buy your seasonal squash and pick up pumpkin cooking tips.

Saturday 10th November

• Pumpkin Festival Harvest Supper Times: 4.30-6.30pm Venue: Cutteslowe Community Centre Cost: FREE to attend Registration: Just turn up! Go along for a deliciously themed harvest meal. This is a bring and share event open to the whole community and they’ll be giving you lots of inspiration for some creative and tasty ways to make good use of your pumpkin creations!

Since its launch in Oxford in 2014, Pumpkin Rescue has taken the UK by storm. In 2015 Pumpkin Rescue was taken on by 25 UK towns and even crossed oceans to the USA. In 2016 it was back, with more than 40 community festivals in the UK and across Asia, supporting 126 events. 2017 saw even more activity around the globe. Since its launch a whopping 17,000 pumpkins have been diverted from landfill, 199 local events and workshops have been attended by 12,200 people and over 70 million people have been told to eat their pumpkins by national and international press.