The Oceanside Community Arts Council is asking for artists to use their creative talents and provide a decorative pumpkin for an auction.
The Great Pumpkin Spooktacular, as it’s been dubbed, is a first- time fundraiser for the OCAC.
People can carve or paint their pumpkins and then drop them off at the McMillan Arts Centre (133 McMillan St., Parksville) on Oct. 21. When dropping off the pumpkins, remember to include your name and the title of the pumpkin.
From then until Oct. 28, when the bidding closes, the public can come into the MAC and view the pumpkins and bid on the silent auction.
On Oct. 29, winners can pick up their pumpkins just in time for Halloween.
Susan Wismer came up with the idea for fundraiser.
“I was looking at a Halloween pumpkin, and thought, I wonder what an artist could do with that,” Wismer said. “We are very excited to see the creativity of our local artists expressed in the medium of ‘pumpkin.’”
The organizers of The Great Pumpkin Spooktacular said they would love to be overwhelmed with pumpkins, but they added that they would need a minimum of 25 pumpkins to make it work.
All proceeds from the silent auction will go directly to the MAC for operating expenses in order to keep its programs running.
OCAC president Heidi Abbott said the OCAC is hoping to make this fundraiser an annual event. She said next year, they would also like to get local business involved in submitting their pumpkin creations.
— Submitted by the OCAC