Forget the humble jack-o'-lantern—now, it's all about luxury pumpkin porches. A growing number of Americans are paying hundreds—sometimes even more than $1,000—for elaborate, professionally designed pumpkin displays on their doorsteps, reports the Washington Post. The trend has been fueled in part by consumers' willingness to spend more on holiday decor than ever before, a phenomenon confirmed by the National Retail Federation, which says Americans are now forking out more for Halloween decorations than for costumes or candy.
The trend is being driven by creative project-management entrepreneurs, most of whom are women. Heather Torres, widely known as Dallas' "Pumpkin Queen," is said to have jump-started the movement after winning a neighborhood "Yard of the Month" in 2013, then officially debuting her Porch Pumpkins business in 2020. She decorated 250 homes her first year—well above her goal of 30—and did 1,300 homes across Texas in her sixth season.
Some decorators—also referred to as "pumpkin concierges," according to Axios—like Virginia's Rebecca Rabiger turned to pumpkin porches after a job loss, building a business from scratch with help from local farms and composters, per the Post. Others, such as Salt Lake City's Heather Walker, feed leftover pumpkins to ranch animals when the season ends. Clients are motivated by everything from Instagram bragging rights to the simple joy of autumn vibes and nostalgia. Others are seeking a festive boost during tough times, looking for decor they can't find at the grocery store, or just don't have the time to decorate themselves.
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The Wall Street Journal notes that part of the growing appeal of spending big bucks on pumpkin-packed porches is that, depending on the climate one lives in, those multicolored gourds and orbs can last for weeks. "It's the only time of the year where you can set something up that can hit two holidays," seasonal porch decorator Brandon Helfer says.
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