Oxfordshire Pumpkin Festival
The Oxfordshire Pumpkin Festival is a celebration of food: creatively encouraging people to think about the food they throw away.
LEARN MORE
The Oxfordshire Pumpkin Festival is a celebration of food: creatively encouraging people to think about the food they throw away.
LEARN MOREWe're excited to annouce our annual Oxfordshire Pumpkin Festival will take place from Monday 20th October until Sunday 2nd November 2025
Each year a terrifying 18,000 tonnes of perfectly edible pumpkins end up being thrown away in the UK. That amounts to approximately 1,500 double-decker buses. At Good Food Oxfordshire, we think that’s scary and each year, we do what we can to help reduce Oxfordshire’s wasted squashes. This is why, in 2014, we piloted the very first Pumpkin Festival to squash food waste.
The festival’s initial success and compelling message inspired the national Pumpkin Rescue campaign, and each year, we continue to do what we can to help reduce Oxfordshire’s wasted squashes. Whether it’s painting instead of carving them or using up every scrap in a soup recipe, we’ve got you covered.
And, if you are a local community group with an event idea to squash food waste, please share your event with us by filling out this form and we'll share information about it below! This year, we gave the first 10 community groups that signed up with their event £100 each to spend on hosting an event specifically about reducing pumpkin waste.
- Ideas for pumpkin-rescue events
- Your favourite pumpkin or squash recipes
- Sharing our social media posts about pumpkin waste and events near you (using #EatYourPumpkin and #PumpkinRescue)
- Donations to ‘top up’ our mini grants of £100 to local organisations to run events on reducing pumpkin waste
25 October: Halloween Party at Barton Community Garden, OX3 8BQ
Join Beautfiul Barton's FANG-tastic, family-friendly and free event where there'll be making Halloween crafts, games (apple bobbing with surplus apples!), a costume swap, and free seeds/recipes.
26 October, 1-3pm: Harvest Festival at Cutteslowe Community Orchard, OX2 8ES
Take part in this joyful autumn gathering with apple pressing, pumpkin cooking, choir singing, and nature-inspired fun for all.
29 October & 1 November: Autumn Garden Celebration at The Berin Centre, OX10 7LZ
Join for a heartwarming autumn celebration with pumpkin carving, seasonal soup, and community spirit around the fire.
29 October, from 12pm: Sustainable Didcot Community Meal at King Alfred Drive Community Centre, OX11 7NU
Enjoy a delicious, sustainable dinner (free but donations welcome) while connecting with local organisations and learning about community events.
30 October, 3-4:30pm: PumpkinFest 2025 at Botley Community Larder, OX2 9JY
Take part in decorating pumpkins, sampling delicious pumpkin muffins, and taking home your favourite pumpkin recipes!
2 November: Festival of Fire and Light at Barracks Lane Community Garden, OX4 2AP
Enjoy a cosy evening with fire-cooked pumpkin soup, pizzas, popcorn, and a magical lantern parade.
5 November: Pumpkin Magic Event at Northway Community Centre, OX3 9RU
A free Cook and Share meal celebrating community, culture, and connection in a warm, welcoming space.
Check out our free pumpkin recipes below to help give ideas of what to cook, and help reduce your food waste.
Information and enquiries: mail@gfo.org.uk
Organisers: Oxfordshire Pumpkin Festival is organised by Good Food Oxfordshire with thanks to Oxfordshire County Council.
