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 ends up in the bin each year. That's the same weight as 1,500 double decker buses! The fourth annual 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. This year's festival dates will be 28th October to 5th November 2017. Make sure you check out the full event programme below. You can also 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 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. 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.

2017 PUMPKIN FESTIVAL PROGRAMME - 28TH OCT - 5TH NOV

Tuesday 24th to Tuesday 31st October

• 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.

Saturday 28th October

• Sandford Hallowe'en Market  Times: 9am - 12pm Venue: Talking Shop, Sandford Cost: Free Registration: Just turn up Join the Sandford Talking Shop team for a special Hallowe'en market with a fancy dress competition for kids—winner announced at 11am. There will be homemade pumpkin soup made with pumpkins grown in the Talking Shop garden. Enjoy pumpkin recipes along with the usual local produce, including bread, veg, meat, eggs and more.
• 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.
• Sandy Lane Harvest Celebration Times: 10am - 3pm Venue: Sandy Lane Farm Cost: Free Registration: Just turn up! Discover pumpkins and squashes of all shapes and sizes, with recipe ideas for each type. With scrumptious food and drink from the Sandy Lane BBQ, Shand’s cakes, Horsebox Coffee Co., The Oxford Artisan Distillery (TOAD). The farm shop will be stocked to the brim with freshly harvested produce.

• Waste 2 Taste Spooky Halloween Pop-up Bistro Times: 7pm - 10.30pm Venue: Talking Shop, Sandford Cost: £20 per person (including a pre-dinner cocktail) Registration: Reserve your tickets at www.waste2taste.co.uk Come and enjoy an inventive and ethical dining experience using high quality ingredients from food surplus. The menu will depend on food surplus available on the day and will be full of love and style. Squash food waste with a feast!

Sunday 29th 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.
• OxGrow Pumpkin Day Times: 12pm - 4pm Venue: OxGrow Community Garden Cost: Free Registration: Just turn up! Celebrate OxGrow's achievements from the past year at their pumpkin-centred garden party. Join for a normal gardening session from midday. At 2.30/3pm there will be a delicious pumpkin feast to share, along with the chance to discuss ideas for the future of Oxgrow and the opportunity to socialise with other OxGrow volunteers.
• Donnington Doorstep Pumpkin Day Times: 3pm - 6pm Venue: Donnington Doorstep, Oxford Cost: £2 adults/£1 children/£5 family Registration: Pay on the door - just turn up! Visit Donnington Doorstep Family Centre for an afternoon of autumnal fun. Enjoy live music, autumn crafts, a bonfire in the garden and pumpkin fancy dress. There will be veggie pumpkin curry, cakes and hot drinks on sale to warm you up too.

Monday 30th October to Friday 3rd November

• Restore Pumpkin Festival Times: 11am - 3.30pm, Monday-Friday Venue: Restore Garden Cafe, Oxford Registration: Just turn up! Visit Restore during their pumpkin-themed week to savour the delicious pumpkin specials on the menu, to use the kids art table, take part in competitions, and to pick up leaflets promoting why pumpkins are good for mental and physical health.

Monday 30th October to Saturday 4th 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?

Saturday 4th November

• Sandford Talking Shop Cafe and Market  Times: 9am - 12pm Venue: Talking Shop, Sandford Cost: Free Registration: Just turn up Enjoy pumpkin recipes along with the usual local produce, including bread, veg, meat, eggs and more.
• 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.
• Bonfire and Pumpkin Afternoon Times: 12pm - 4pm Venue: Barracks Lane Community Garden, Oxford Cost: FREE Registration: Just turn up! Come and enjoy the garden and large sandpit, eat pumpkin soup around the bonfire and make pizza in the wood-fired oven. Suitable for all ages. Everyone welcome. A gentle alternative to firework events!
• Bottomless Bonfire BBQ By Cook With Fire Times: 7pm - 11pm Venue: Silvie, Oxford Cost: £16 per person for endless fired food buffet style dining Registration: Reserve your tickets via Eventbrite or drop into Silvie Join Cook With Fire for an evening of seasonal feasting over the fire featuring local wild vension and pumpkins galore plus music and TapSocial brews. Enjoy a sparkling autumnual night of friends, feasting and keeping toasty by the bonfire.

Sunday 5th November

• 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.
• Disco Soup Oxford Times: 12pm - 3pm Venue: Bonn Square, Oxford Cost: FREE Registration: Turn up and eat, or get involved with cooking! Dance to the BEETroot and all the other surplus veg and fruit that we'll be collecting; to cook up, altogether, into a FREE PUMPKIN FEAST for all!