COOKEVILLE, TN — In a move organizers are calling “the only responsible choice,” the Capshaw Fall Festival will feature 400 pumpkins flown in from a boutique, invitation-only pumpkin patch in Napa Valley.
The pumpkins, which arrived Monday in climate-controlled crates with their own handler, were grown in volcanic soil and “listened to classical music during their formative weeks,” according to a laminated card that came with each one. They cost $61 apiece before shipping.
Members of the festival committee acknowledged that there are several pumpkin patches within a 15-minute drive of the school. “We looked at them,” said Crawford-Hale. “They were very orange. Aggressively orange. This year’s palette is Sage, Oat, and Quiet Money, and a local pumpkin simply cannot deliver that.”
Upon arrival, every pumpkin was hand-painted matte cream or sage by a decorative artist from Nashville, which committee members agreed was “the whole point of getting them from Napa.” When a dad asked why they didn’t just buy cream-colored pumpkins, he was quietly removed from the committee group chat.
Children will be allowed to look at the pumpkins from behind a velvet rope. A separate bin of standard pumpkins will be available for carving near the Heritage Lane.