Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Display in Shepherd, Michigan

See 1,000+ carved pumpkins on display the last week of October in the Village of Shepherd, Michigan. 2022 dates have not been announced yet, but it typically starts on Sunday, one week before Halloween.

This small Mid Michigan village comes to life each Halloween, drawing spectators from near and far. For nearly a decade, Shepherd Michigan’s Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin display, has been lighting up the night on the corner of Second Street and Orchard.

The annual pumpkin carving event is scheduled for the Sunday before Halloween. Homeowner and Halloween display mastermind, Kent Roth, invites the public to participate by helping carve and prepare the pumpkins for this special event. Interested carving volunteers can meet on Sunday, in the driveway of Roth’s Home at 109 N Second Street, Shepherd, MI 48883.

This invite is open to anyone who wants to help out in carving one or more pumpkins for the display. Carving will commence at 11am until the last pumpkin is done! Estimating around 4 hours of carving, depending on the number of volunteers who show up.

All pumpkins are gutted, volunteer carvers are asked to bring any carving tools needed to complete your pumpkin art. If carving isn’t your thing, help is needed with running pumpkins, setting pumpkins and cutting bottoms!

When done, 1000 jack-o-lanterns will be lit from Sunday through until Halloween night. Roth began the pumpkin display years ago, beginning with 250 pumpkins, then doubling and growing the pumpkin count each year maxing out at 1,700 carved pumpkins in past years. I’m no mathematician but that’s more pumpkins than the Village of Shepherd population!

The Jack-O-Lantern Display is hard to miss on the corner behind Shepherd Bar & Restaurant or next to the Shepherd Post Office.

Also, check out the Best Mid Michigan Halloween attractions nearby!

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