"The Halloween Pumpkin Process and New Fall Openings"

🎃Until recently, I had no idea how intricate the Halloween pumpkin process could be. That changed after meeting a girl named Hope. Her name immediately conjured memories of Hope from Days of Our Lives—the long-running soap opera that migrated from NBC to Peacock after ratings dipped. We laughed about the legacy of soap opera names. How many girls were named Hope because of her. How Nicole became popular first through Nicole on The Edge of Night, and later through Days of Our Lives again. Names carry echoes. Sometimes they carve us before we carve them.

At the Coat Factory, there’s a hidden world where pumpkins are transformed. Gutted, carved, decorated, and shipped to places like the Chicago Botanical Garden. These creations travel by truck from Peekskill, NY, carried by volunteers and paid artists alike. Hope told me the giant pumpkins smell like melons when opened. I believe her. We both like pumpkin flavor—but not pumpkin pie. Too close to sweet potato pie, which I’ve never liked, even growing up in the South.

The pumpkins come from Amish country in Pennsylvania. Once they arrive, they’re turned into art and sent to Chicago, Long Island, and likely other corners of the tri-state area. I’m still not sure how one gets involved in this ritual, but I’m glad it exists.

I don’t eat much pumpkin, but I love how it looks. That vibrant orange—like fire made friendly. It warms the season, decorates the days.

Meanwhile, fall is reshaping Peekskill. Anytime Fitness is moving into the old RiteAid at Crosstown Shopping Center. Across the street, the space that once held Junita’s is becoming the new Peekskill Diner. I’m looking forward to it. I used to love all-night diners in New York before the pandemic. Chelsea Square Restaurant with diner atmosphere might still be open, but I haven’t been in ages.

Fall always feels like a return. To the city. To tradition. To the quiet thrill of new places opening their doors. Like New York City that's always changing, Peekskill is changing again. And I’m walking with it.