Pumpkins, Proceratosaurus, and a Palace: Perusing the World’s Largest Pumpkin Festival

The Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival (Kürbisausstellung Ludwigsburg) feels like a quirky fairy tale. The setting is an 18th-century Baroque palace, and each year, the festival has a different theme. Over the years, organizers have paid homage to undersea critters, dinosaurs, and even Switzerland (where I imagine there might have been timepieces fashioned out of pumpkins).

The year we attended the fest, we mingled with dinosaurs fashioned out of pumpkins, squash, and gourds (they say that there are upwards of 450,000 pumpkins!). We even spotted Rapunzel’s braid dangling from a cobbled tower…

Said to be the world’s largest pumpkin exhibition, this annual event takes place at the Ludwigsburg Palace (Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg) in Germany, about 15 km (10 miles) north of Stuttgart.

Not long before Shawn and I left Germany to embark on our Southeast Asian sabbatical, we accompanied my parents and their fluffy dogs, Gigi and Meg, to this memorable event.

It was an afternoon filled with gargantuan pumpkins from around Europe, smaller ornamental specimens, and pumpkin products and dishes to tempt even the pickiest of palates. (Think pumpkin sparkling wine, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin quiche, and pumpkin soup.)

The Ludwigsburg Palace.

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought it fitting to enjoy these scenes from a past pumpkin festival. If you’re in Germany during the fall, I highly recommend it!

Regal blue and gold gate ornamentation at the Ludwigsburg Palace during the annual Pumpkin Fest.

An ornate gate at the Ludwigsburg Palace during the annual Pumpkin Fest.

A family walks the grounds of the Ludwigsburg Palace during its yearly Pumpkin Fest in Germany.

My dad and Meg.

A first-place pumpkin at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Fest in Germany. — *1. Platz* = first place!

A boy looks up at a massive T-Rex dinosaur fashioned out of pumpkins at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Fest in Germany.

A gardener figure, made out of pumpkins and holding a rake, at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Fest in Germany.

Shawn, my parents, pups Gigi and Meg, and me.

A dinosaur “fossil.”

A figure resembling an elephant, is made out of pumpkins, butternut squash, and gourds at Germany's Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Fest.

An orange pumpkin from the USA, and called "Goose Bumps II" is on display at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Fest.

A green and yellow pumpkin from South Africa, and called "Star 8001" is on display at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Fest.

The chalkboard menu at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Fest displays food items in German. There's everything from pumpkin soup and pumpkin strudel to pumpkin spaghetti. Prices in Euro are also included.

Picnic tables are set out at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Fest in Germany.

A woman walks a dog at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Fest.

A braid-like rope with a ribbon dangles from a stone tower at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Fest in Germany.

Where in the World?

Planning Pointers:

The Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival takes place annually at the Ludwigsburg Residential Palace in Ludwigsburg. The city of Ludwigsburg is located about 15 km (10 miles) north of Stuttgart.

About the author

Hi! My name is Tricia Mitchell. I delight in telling stories about my slow travels through more than 65 countries. Some of my highlights have included sharing meals with locals in Armenia, Cambodia, and Tunisia; sipping sparkling wine with French cousins in Alsace; milking goats in a sleepy Bulgarian village; and training with a Japanese mine-clearance team in Laos. My husband, Shawn, and I are based in France’s Loire Valley.

23 responses to “Pumpkins, Proceratosaurus, and a Palace: Perusing the World’s Largest Pumpkin Festival”

travelerlynne

October 29, 2012

Rather amazing…pumpkin concoctions. Quite the festival.

1. travelerlynne
  
  October 29, 2012
  
  Forgot to add…nice that you and your folks could do this together.
  
  1. Tricia A. Mitchell
    
    October 30, 2012
    
    It sure was a great afternoon together; my mom’s always in the know about the fun events in and around their home. :) Wish we could make it in time to enjoy the fest this year!
Rachael

October 29, 2012

What an entertaining festival. My children would love it.

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  October 30, 2012
  
  You still have time, Rachael. :) I believe this year’s fest runs through the 5th.
  
petit4chocolatier

October 30, 2012

Looks like so much fun! Love the pictures!

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  October 30, 2012
  
  Judy, I think you’d love all the pumpkin products they had for sale – pasta, muffins, quiche and more. Will you be testing out any pumpkin-inspired recipes on your site this fall?
  
  1. petit4chocolatier
    
    October 30, 2012
    
    I would definitely love this!
    
    Pumpkin recipes: There are so many pumpkin recipes I love. A month or so ago I prepared a pumpkin recipe, and then this past week I made a brownie with a graham cracker pumpkin pie spice combination. Still preparing something soon : )
    
    Thank you for asking and the inspiration!
  2. Tricia A. Mitchell
    
    October 31, 2012
    
    Judy, I’ll have to dig a little deeper into your recipe archives, because I seem to have missed the pumpkin recipe from last month. Eventually, we’ll have to cook up the pumpkins we just carved. :)
rigmover

October 30, 2012

Cool shots, boy that’s a lot of pumpkins, thanks Tricia.

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  October 30, 2012
  
  Many thanks, Mark.
  
Madhu

October 30, 2012

Marvelous pumpkin festival! Some of them seem huge!

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  October 30, 2012
  
  I included the image of my parent’s dog so that one could sense how large they really are. I think some of them tipped the scale at 700 kilograms!
  
love.antoinette

October 31, 2012

Tricia, I have to admit, I am a tad bit jealous and homesick while going through your photos on this post. Autumn is my favorite season back home because of the fall foliage, Halloween, Thanksgiving, cute coats and boots! Not to mention the excitement leading up to the holidays!

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  October 31, 2012
  
  Antoinette, yes, we’re getting geared up for the trick-or-treaters tonight.
  
  For how much longer will you be in South America? Perhaps the homesickness you’re feeling can be erased when you consider the good work you’ve done in Peru.
  
  The pumpkin soup, fall foliage and fun fall clothes will be waiting for you next year. :)
  
belocchio

October 31, 2012

There is a real fascination with pumpkins – every where. Down the road from The Farm we see fields covered with pumpkins and the children choosing their favorite. In Ontario (where we spend time) they grow pumpkins that are enormous. Last year l,808.5 pounds. Shades of Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin. Love your photographs of some very strange pumpkin creations. Virginia

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  October 31, 2012
  
  Virginia,1,800 pounds? That’s incredible!
  
  We just finished carving our 4 creations this past weekend – Wink, Schmooo, Moustache and Cat. Did you do any carving this year? Tonight, the little trick-or-treaters come. Having been away from the US for 10 Halloweens, it’s fun to see the custom again. :)
  
  1. belocchio
    
    October 31, 2012
    
    Alas and alack Tricia – there is only 3 young children the length of our road. Their parents take them into the village for trick or treating. I quite love seeing the children in their dress up costumes, so we are driving to my brothers (45 min away) to spend Halloween with them and their two young boys. Of course I am going in costume. I have an exotic silk ensemble (tunic and skirt) from Indian. The Good Husband is going as “men in black”. Virginia
  2. Tricia A. Mitchell
    
    October 31, 2012
    
    Virginia, I do hope you will post pictures of your exotic costumes and traditional evening. :) Safe travels and have fun tonight! (I’m sad that my German Dirndl / traditional dress is in Germany tonight, otherwise I’d love to be in costume while helping give out goodies.)
wolfgangpowerpoint.wordpress.com/

November 9, 2012

Danke, ein gutes Wochenende wünschen wir.
LG. Wolfgang

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  December 6, 2012
  
  Vielen Dank, Wolfgang – Alles Gute von Oberammergau!
  
dilipnaidu

November 29, 2012

Wow quite an amazing and colorful festival. Fascinating indeed!
Thanks & regards.

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  December 6, 2012
  
  My pleasure, Dilip! Our current spot in Germany is looking drastically different from this one — we’ve almost gotten a meter of snow in the Alps! Makes me long for warmer locales. :)