Pumpkin Lane Summons the Spirit of Community on Halloween

Downtown Encinitas has been home to Pumpkin Lane every Halloween for decades. This year, as with past years, carved pumpkins will be out in their orange-hued glory amid the candy-fueled festivities of the Downtown Encinitas Safe Trick or Treat on Oct. 31 along Highway 101.

The decorative gourds are an annual part of the event, courtesy of the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), an international nonprofit that has been located on K Street since 1937. Harvested by SRF monks around Oct. 1 in a garden overlooking Swami's Beach, the pumpkins are SRF's contribution to a safer Halloween for the children of Encinitas.

The Self-Realization Fellowship hosted the Downtown Encinitas Safe Trick or Treat for more than 20 years before relinquishing the carnival portion to the Downtown Encinitas Mainstream Association (DEMA) in 2001. "The event was getting really big," said Carris Rhodes, DEMA program assistant. "It was too big for a small location."

The Halloween happening usually draws a crowd of 2,000 to 3,000 people, according to Rhodes. Parking, therefore, is wherever you can find it. "It gets packed with people," she said.

Safe Trick or Treat used to be even bigger, according to SRF Brother Tejananda, who said before the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, they'd have up to 13,000 attendees on Halloween. After the attacks, however, the monks worried about safety for the children, the very thing that inspired the event in the first place. "It got too risky with all the people," said Brother Tejananda. "The idea was to have a safe place for kids on Halloween."

Thankfully, Halloween hasn't brought more tricks than treats for Pumpkin Lane; the event has been a source of merriment for local families thanks to a multitude of intricately carved pumpkins lining the Highway from D Street to K.

Rhodes said one her favorite pumpkin displays was a likeness of swimmer Michael Phelps, who had just won eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. "All of the pumpkins were different shapes," Rhodes said. "It was incredible. They're so skilled. It was just so random—it looked just like him."

This year carved pumpkins will take the shapes of Marvel Comics and Disney characters, ethnic Indian designs, and traditional Halloween images. "We change the pictures every year, depending on what's popular," said Brother Tejananda. Designs can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a few days to create.

Just don't expect the pumpkins to have been carved by monks in meditative states. The pumpkins are merely a way for SRF to give to the community. "We're just trying to love everyone and be happy," said Brother Tejananda. "Nothing spectacular or miraculous—we're just living a simple life."

It takes three months for pumpkins to grow, so the monks plant them around June or July before harvesting them in fall. Because of the colder summer, this fall's pumpkins are smaller than usual, said Brother Tejananda.

After the pumpkins have their day, they're taken to a hog farm for food. Favorite pumpkins may also be taken home by appreciative trick-or-treaters. "If there's one you like, you can ask and take it home at night," said Rhodes, who added that they actually like when people take the pumpkins home at the end of the event. "It's easier for us."

Rhodes does caution possible takers who think it'll be as easy as taking candy from a trick-or-treater; the pumpkins can be heavy. "Even after they're carved, they can run up to 80 pounds."

The pumpkins are slated to be set up at the Smog Test Only Center lot on the corner of F Street and Highway 101; at the California Community Bank; in front of the DEMA office; and the largest display will front the Self-Realization bookstore. All of the pumpkins will be lit with LED lights. "They really pop," said Rhodes.

In addition to the hoards of gourds, this year's Downtown Encinitas Safe Trick  Treat will feature children's games, candy distributed to kids by Downtown Encinitas stores, and family friendly music by Nels and the Peanut Butter Cookies Band.

And for many Encinitas kids, the highlight of the festival is going to the Queen's Court and asking for a wish to be granted. "I always wanted to go to the Queen's Court," said Encinitas native Rhodes. "It's nothing like I've ever seen."

Although the Queen's Court, composed of SRF members, took a temporary hiatus, last year the royal regime returned to the festivities. The Queen and her attendants will be there this year, handing out candy and small toys to young subjects while listening to childhood wishes. "It's sort of a Disneyland-looking thing," said Brother Tejananda. "It looks like a medieval castle."

The Safe Trick or Treat starts at 5 p.m. and will run until the music stops at 8 p.m.