Food Network’s ‘Outrageous Pumpkins’ Puts Our Jack-O’-Lanterns to Shame

Think you’re a master of pumpkin carving? Don’t be so sure. The Food Network reality competition Outrageous Pumpkins features stunning creations way beyond your run-of-the-mill jack-o’-lantern. (One contestant even crafted a diorama of a diabolical gourd pushing a hapless pumpkin into a pie-making machine!) Here’s the scoop on this show, including details on where and when Outrageous Pumpkins was filmed.

Outrageous Pumpkins is a four-episode reality competition hosted by actress Alyson Hannigan — who, in case you’ve forgotten, played a witch in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series premiered on Sept. 20, and the finale airs tonight, Sunday, Oct. 11, at 10 p.m. EST.

“A traditional Halloween pastime is taken to the next level as seven expert pumpkin carvers compete at an outdoor pumpkin playground for the title of Outrageous Pumpkin Champion and a sweet $25,000 Halloween treat,” a Food Network news release reads.

“Each week the carvers compete in two outrageous challenges that test their creativity and pumpkin prowess as they sculpt gravity-defying scenes that celebrate Halloween, with puppeteer and artist Terri Hardin and master pumpkin carver Ray Villafane judging their every move.”

Outrageous Pumpkins was filmed in November 2019, meaning Food Network has been sitting on the series for nearly a year. But as the “go-to destination” for Halloween programming, the cable channel undoubtedly knew a year ago that it would have a reputation to uphold this autumn.

“Food Network has been the go-to destination for Halloween through the years, offering programming that showcases edge of your seat, nerve-wracking competitions with mind-blowing Halloween creations that viewers have come to expect and love,” Courtney White, president of Food Network, said in the press release.

“With new series like Outrageous Pumpkins taking the action out of the studio, along with returning favorites like Halloween Baking Championship and Halloween Wars, this season is sure to deliver all the frights and delights fans are hoping for.”

The competition took place at Harbes Family Farm in Mattituck, N.Y., on Long Island’s North Fork. “The series was filmed in Harbes Barnyard and it was an honor to have them here,” a recent Facebook post from the farm read. “Check it out!”

According to its website, Harbes Family Farm is part of the Harbes family’s 13-generation legacy of farming on Long Island. “It was here on the North Fork in 1978 that a fruitful journey began as two high school sweethearts (Ed & Monica Harbes) married young and started a new life on the family farm in Mattituck,” the website says.

“30 years later Harbes has expanded to three locations,” the site reveals. “Each location is built on the simple premise of offering country fun for everyone. Harbes Farms have created a lasting legacy of memories for countless families and the Harbes Family hopes to continue this tradition for many decades to come.”

The farm offers fresh vegetables and fruits, apple cider donuts, kettle corn, fresh-squeezed lemonade, pure honey, and a variety of flowers. And every autumn, the farm offers hayrides, corn mazes, apple picking, and — yes! — pumpkin picking.