Jack o’ Jaunt: City hosts pumpkin carving contest
October 30, 2020
The City of Palo Alto will give away $50 gift cards to the three contestants with the scariest, most creative and cutest jack o’ lanterns during its first ever “Jack o’ Jaunt” pumpkin carving competition Friday on University and California avenue.
Over 75 people of all ages are participating, and a wide array of different pumpkins will be on display according Community Services Manager Tyler Stetson. Winners of the contest will have their pumpkins displayed on all of the City’s social media accounts and will also receive a $50 gift card to a restaurant of their choice.
The contestants will be able to carve their pumpkins from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the viewing will start soon after at 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The judges, a panel of city-partner VIPs, will vote for their favorite pumpkin in the different categories.
While the event is open to the public, there will be safety precautions in place. Social distancing will be enforced, and the pumpkins will be spread out on the designated streets, according to the City of Palo Alto’s recreation division.
“We are very excited to be able to offer this event to the community in a safe and enjoyable way,” Stetson stated in an email to The Paly Voice.
![Charen Yu (left), the Palo Alto Unified School District chief business officer, presents the updated 2026-2027 budget during Tuesday's board meeting. According to Yu, expenditure changes are the primary reason for the deficit. “[Compared to the adopted budget], certificated salaries are up $18.8 million (which translates to 13.4%), classified salaries are up $11 million (or 17%), benefits are up $5.6 million and all other objects are down $2.9 million,” Yu said. “These are settled agreements with our bargaining partners. They are contractual obligations and they are the primary driver of the change.”](https://palyvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/budget-presentation-300x225.jpeg)
