The Pumpkin Walk: A Cherished Tradition
It all started with a simple idea. North Logan resident Ida Beutler, a retired school teacher who loved children, wanted to do something positive and family-friendly for Halloween. So, she and Wallace created a pumpkin
display on the Beutler Farm on 1600 East in North Logan.
That first year, some boys came by and vandalized the display as a prank. The police happened by, saw the boys and took them to Ida, who kindly invited them into her home and offered them a treat. She arranged for them to help her make another display the next year. That next year
Ida also recruited neighbors, her daughters and their families, and her friends – including artist Nancy Israelsen – to create displays and to help. With Ida and Nancy as the creative force behind the Pumpkin Walk – organizing, crafting, and planning – and with their husbands, Wallace and Lyle, lending support to make it happen, this wonderful gift and enduring, unique tradition was established.
The Beutler Farm was a wonderful spot for the Pumpkin Walk. Scenes nestled among the stalls or sat against the barn, characters grinned from trees or hung out along the canal that ran through the farm. Cornstalks, hay bales, and colorful leaves were plentiful. That charm was enhanced by the Beutlers gracious hospitality. Guests were greeted with home-made cookies and Wally’s fresh cider. On cold days, a warm potato was available to put in your pocket as a hand-warmer.
It’s no wonder the event quickly became a very popular tradition. By the fourth year, some 20,000 people attended. To accommodate the crowds, neighbors pitched in to help by baking cookies, harvesting pumpkins, creating scenes assigned by Ida, and passing out refreshments. Some even strung electrical cords from their homes across the canal to the farm, to provide light for scenes.
It was a popular event! People were coming to the Pumpkin Walk not just from Cache Valley, but from the Wasatch Front and from Idaho. The sheer number presented a logistical challenge.
Ida agreed to let North Logan City adopt the Pumpkin Walk, on conditions it would always remain free and not have advertising. North Logan began sponsorship in 1989, and in 1992 the event moved to Elk Ridge Park. It was a new chapter, but the magic continued. At this point, the Pumpkin Walk had truly become a Cache Valley tradition. People from all over the valley were giving time, talents and elbow grease to make the event a success.
Businesses also generously pitched in with supplies, cookies, electricity, publishing and more. North Logan City made improvements like electrical outlets for scenes and later added a paved path.
The park proved to be a good location, and many happy memories have been made here. (See our Gallery for some fun scenes over the years!) Today, more than 30,000 people come from all over the Intermountain West, and places beyond, to see the displays. Hundreds of volunteers – guided by a core volunteer committee – paint, carve, build, entertain, light, direct, organize and support as they continue to give this wonderful gift to the community.
— Gina H. Worthen