ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) — In a Nob Hill neighborhood, there are over 300 pumpkin carvings featuring everything from historic figures to pop culture characters. It’s a craft the homeowner has been taking part in every Halloween for a little over 25 years.
Alana Mattingly is Vermont-born and Albuquerque-raised. When she moved into her current Nob Hill home over two decades ago, she started up the tradition in her own front yard. SpongeBob SquarePants, Dolly Parton, Jack Sparrow, and many, many more light up in various neon colors across Mattingly’s lawn. The site is something young and older locals alike have found childlike joy in.
“They’re like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God.’ One time there were some teenagers driving… I could hear from the car, these people going, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God,’ all the way down the street, and then they came back around,” said Mattingly. “And again, I heard that, and I just kind of chuckled to myself… [The pumpkins] are time-consuming.”
The pumpkins are made of foam, as Mattingly says, the dry New Mexico weather makes it difficult to keep real pumpkins thriving through the entire month of October. Nonetheless, it’s a process that can take Mattingly anywhere from a full day, to nearly a week. To her, the craft is worth it – so much so that she’s almost run out of space for more pumpkins.
“I am slightly running out of room in the front yard because when I go to the store, I can’t pick up just two or three,” said Mattingly. “I have to pick up 10. And my husband scowls at me when I bring them home and I go hide them in my closet. But I had my son build me a shed and it’s full of these. You know, it’s just full… I just don’t have any more room unless I build another shed.”
Out of hundreds of options, it can be hard to pick a favorite. Mattingly says she personally doesn’t have one, and that most of her visitors don’t seem to either. But of course, kids light up when they see cartoon favorites like Shrek or SpongeBob.
“I enjoy doing faces. I have Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers together right down here. And I have the Wizard of OZ characters right here,” said Mattingly. “I have Adam’s Family. And of course, there’s other faces in between that are out of horror movies.” Most of Mattingly’s carvings are based on patterns, of which she has about 10 entire binders worth.
As Mattingly continues to run out of storage space for her pumpkins, she’s considering ending the tradition. Until then, she’ll be lighting up her Nob Hill street this Halloween season.
