pumpkins

Marks and Spencer is selling a £36 top with a print that shoppers say is ideal for autumn outings such as pumpkin patch picking. The item, highlighted by the Manchester Evening News, taps into seasonal fashion interest as people plan autumn trips and update their wardrobes with cosier, festive-style pieces from the high street retailer.

Researchers have assembled a complete pumpkin genome, a milestone announced via Newswise. With the full genetic sequence available, breeders can more precisely develop pumpkin varieties with improved traits such as disease resistance, yield and fruit quality. The breakthrough is expected to speed up breeding programs and support research across the squash and gourd family.

A gardener is preparing to cut down a self-seeded patch of butterfly pea and Jewels of Opar that spread over the summer, chopping and dropping the material to feed fall plantings of greens, peas, pumpkins and tomatoes. Butterfly pea is noted as a heavy nitrogen fixer, making the volunteer growth valuable free fertiliser for the autumn vegetable bed.

An animated piece depicting village life in 1990s India in the aftermath of a storm is drawing a large audience. It centres on simple domestic scenes, including the preparation of pumpkin curry, puri and dried prawn, in a style evoking Studio Ghibli films. Viewers are engaging with it as nostalgia for childhood and a slower rural way of life.

A popular gardening creator is showing how to plant a fresh delivery of perennials, including bergenia and delphiniums, while finding kitchen uses for the last of the autumn pumpkin harvest. The seasonal video has drawn strong engagement, with viewers responding to the mix of planting tips and cozy end-of-season ideas as gardens head into late autumn.

Weather observers are reassuring residents of Half Moon Bay, California that El Niño conditions should not disrupt the October pumpkin season and related harvest events, which play a significant role in the local economy. Locals also hope the autumn farmers market, which wraps up its weekly run soon, will go ahead without weather-related disruption.

A food writer has rounded up twelve fall desserts billed as must-make recipes for the season, promising treats everyone will love. The collection is being shared among home cooks looking for autumn baking ideas, adding to the usual seasonal wave of pumpkin, spice and comfort-dessert recipes circulating as the weather cools.

Serious Eats editors have shared the recipes they are most excited to cook this October, headlined by perfect roast chicken, pumpkin lasagna, and French onion soup. The roundup leans into cozy autumn cooking as cooler weather sets in, with pumpkin-forward dishes and comforting classics taking center stage for home cooks planning their fall menus.

Food writer Ree Drummond, known as the Pioneer Woman, has published a roundup of her ten favorite pumpkin spice recipes, aimed at home cooks looking for autumn baking ideas. The collection spans seasonal treats featuring the popular spice blend, and readers are sharing which recipes they plan to try as pumpkin spice season gets underway.

Blogger Lydia Schoch has published a Top Ten Tuesday list of picture books about pumpkins, shared with the book-loving community on Bookstodon. The roundup highlights ten pumpkin-themed children's picture books, timed for the autumn and Halloween season. It is part of the regular Top Ten Tuesday blogging prompt, where readers share themed book lists each week.

Food outlets are sharing a roundup of 15 cookie recipes marking the return of fall baking season. The collection highlights seasonal favourites as cooler weather arrives and home bakers turn back to oven-baked treats. Readers are browsing the list for inspiration on pumpkin, spice and other autumn-themed cookies to bake at home.

Hershey Gardens in Hershey, Pennsylvania, will bring back its Pumpkin Palooza event on October 17, 18, 24 and 25, 2026. The seasonal celebration features pumpkins and autumn displays in the gardens, drawing families and fall enthusiasts each year. The announcement of the 2026 dates gives visitors plenty of time to plan ahead for the popular Halloween-season attraction.

New Leaf Community Markets, a small six-store grocery chain in the San Francisco Bay Area, is selling housemade vegan pumpkin donuts at its local stores. A customer noted the seasonal plant-based treat fondly, highlighting the chain's reputation for locally made, health-oriented foods. The post resonated with people who appreciate neighborhood grocers offering vegan and pumpkin-flavored fall products.

A church in Alexandria is opening its annual pumpkin patch this weekend, with proceeds going to charitable causes. The seasonal fundraiser invites the local community to buy pumpkins while supporting the church's outreach work. Local residents are sharing the news as a sign of the fall season and an opportunity to give back.

Food & Wine has published a roundup of 11 pumpkin soup recipes aimed at readers settling into colder weather. The collection covers a range of comforting options for the autumn season, as home cooks look for seasonal dishes to make as temperatures drop and sweater weather begins.

Home cooks are sharing easy pumpkin pie recipes as Thanksgiving approaches, calling the dish the soul of fall baking. Recipe posts are circulating with tips for making the classic dessert simply, as families in the United States prepare their holiday menus and search for reliable, traditional dishes to serve.

First United Methodist Church in Columbia is opening its annual pumpkin patch on October 1. The seasonal fundraiser, a fixture of fall in many Southern towns, draws families out to pick pumpkins ahead of Halloween while supporting church programs. Local coverage highlights the opening date as the autumn season gets underway in the area.

Waimanalo Country Farms on Oahu has opened its fall harvest festival after a delay caused by a storm. The seasonal event, a popular draw for local families, features pumpkin picking and farm activities. Residents are welcoming the opening following days of disrupted plans due to the weather.

The Lima Pumpkin Invasion event is bringing pumpkin displays, food vendors and family entertainment to Lima's Central District. The seasonal gathering is being promoted by local outlet Hometown Stations as a community attraction for the Ohio city, combining autumn-themed decorations with food and activities in the downtown area.

Peace Dale Congregational Church in Rhode Island is running its Pumpkins for a Purpose sale, an annual event that turns a pumpkin patch on church grounds into fundraising for charitable causes. Organizers describe it as a chance for the local community to give back, with proceeds supporting outreach programs and drawing families each autumn for pumpkins and a shared community gathering.

A food column offers three copycat recipes inspired by Trader Joe's seasonal fall products, giving readers a way to recreate the grocery chain's autumn favorites at home. The piece taps into the seasonal demand for pumpkin- and spice-flavored items that typically surrounds the retailer's fall lineup each year.

A student from Toms River, New Jersey, has won a $7,500 scholarship with a pumpkin bread recipe passed down from her great-grandmother. The story of a treasured family recipe being turned into educational support has drawn attention as a heartwarming local news item.

Grace Lutheran Church in Ormond Beach, Florida has opened its annual pumpkin patch, a seasonal tradition that typically runs through October and supports the church's community programs. Local residents are stopping by to pick pumpkins and enjoy the fall festivities as the Halloween season begins.

First United Methodist Church is holding its pumpkin patch, offering pumpkins to the local community in a seasonal tradition often used by churches to bring families together and raise funds. WMBF covered the event under the theme 'Pick of the patch'. Details about dates, activities or how proceeds will be used were not provided.

An artist shared a sketch riffing on pumpkin spice season, captioned 'Power over Spice is power over all', drawing small but warm engagement from the Mastodon art community. The piece plays on the annual autumn enthusiasm for pumpkin spice flavours, a recurring cultural talking point each fall.

An exhibition of works by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is underway in Tagawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture, running until October 4. The show features a large collection of her pieces, including her famous pumpkin-themed works, and is attracting visitors from across the wider region, according to Nishinippon Shimbun.

Look Park in Northampton, Massachusetts is staging an outdoor pumpkin art trail described as an evening of wonder, running through October. The seasonal event features illuminated pumpkin displays set along the park's paths, offering visitors a nighttime walk-through art experience during the Halloween season, and is drawing local attention as a fall attraction for families.

A cook bought an enormous bunch of dill at a farmers market and asked others for recipes to use it up quickly before it spoils, sharing favourite dishes such as a Northern Thai pumpkin soup. Replies and suggestions are circulating as people trade their own go-to ways to use large amounts of fresh herbs.

Residents of Fountain Hills are organizing a community pumpkin drive for animals. The effort, reported by the local paper, invites people to donate pumpkins that can be used as enrichment or feed for animals. Details on the beneficiary organizations, collection dates and locations have not yet been made widely available.

Sanrio Entertainment has announced the timetable and venue map for SPOOKY PUMPKIN 2026, an all-night Halloween music festival at Sanrio Puroland in Tama, Tokyo. The event, organised with music office Melody Fair, will feature 74 artists and comedians performing across the night, and the newly released schedule lets attendees plan which acts to see.