Two tables, both lined with carefully painted pumpkins come into view, bringing cardigans, pumpkin spice candles and Halloween candy on the mind. 

Floral Design students painted pumpkins like they do every year around this time, but for the first time, it was also a contest. 

“We painted pumpkins every year, but I wanted to make it more fun for them, and it’s always fun when it’s a contest,” floral design teacher Kirby Kennedy-Phillips said. “We’ve never done the voting, just painted them.” 

Voting ended Oct. 17, and Kayleigh Lenk won first place with her “Up” movie design.

“[The winner gets] to pick a drink and donut order of their choice,” Kennedy-Phillips said.

This activity was meant to let students be creative, and get in the fall and Halloween spirit. 

“The floral design and the greenhouse students got to do this, and it’s just a way to do something fun and artistic,” Kennedy-Phillips said. “Hopefully they surprised themselves by how good they did on the pumpkins.” 

Kennedy-Phillips gave students a few days in class to work on their pumpkins, allowing anyone who was absent or had a more complex design enough time to finish.

“I think they painted for three days, and it was all in class,” Kennedy-Phillips said.

Senior Caroline White chose to paint something more simple because she was gone when her classmates worked on them. 

“I had small dots on mine,” White said. “It was white, and then I had orange, and yellow and pink dots on it.” 

Senior Hannah Blaha got the inspiration for her pumpkin design from a common source. 

“That was all Pinterest,” Blaha said. “It took me five class periods.”

The pumpkins were left on display for one more day after voting ended. 

Blaha didn’t feel like her pumpkin deserved to win, but felt there was one in particular that should. 

“I liked the ‘Up’ pumpkin,” Blaha said. “There was a house, and it had all the balloons like the movie up, and it was super cute.” 

After completing their pumpkins, students moved on to more artistic and seasonal activities. 

“We get to do a bunch of just really cool projects,” Kennedy-Phillips said. “Right now, they’re painting bookmarks for the nursing home, and anything fall themed is always more fun!” 

Blaha enjoys that she can have fun with art in class and isn’t judged on artistic ability. 

“I can be artistic, but I don’t have to be good at art,” Blaha said. 

During the fall months, many people look forward to chilly weather and colorful leaves. 

“I love the way the trees look and the aesthetic of outside,” White said.