Coconut Grove pumpkin carving

The Art Box pumpkin carving event last year.

The Art Box is having a Pumpkin Carving Contest on Friday October 26, which starts at 7:30 pm. Admission is $25 per person, which includes pumpkins, tools, snacks and spiked witches brew.

Please RSVP to sofia@rtboxmiami.com

When I first saw this announcement, I was telling a friend it reminded me of Barracuda's Pumpkin Contest in 2010. Brian Davis and Matt Heiger owned the Cuda then and they had the street closed off and on October 29 that year, along with the music and drinks and fun, there were to be pumpkins to judge. I billed it in the Grapevine as a "new event that will hopefully become a signature event," but I think that was the first and last one until this one at Art Box.

The late great Robby Parks, Monty Trainer and Frank Zito at the 2010 Barracuda party on Fuller Street.

What happened was the event was crowded and fun, it was from 7 to 11 pm. Robby Hunter performed on the street, it was a really fun block party, there was a pet costume contest and lots of drinks, and at about 10 pm, I went over to get the pumpkin judge, Monty Trainer. I picked him up and we went to the event.

The crazy part is that there were only two pumpkins in the contest! I felt a bit embarrassed for Monty, but the good sport he is, he got into the fun and it ended up being a funny thing. I would have joked around and said something like, "You dragged me out of bed for two pumpkins?"But the gentleman he is, Monty laughed it off and judged the pumpkins.

You can see the two pumpkins and that block party here.

Another funny thing is that one of the pumpkins is Steven Colbert. Last week Monty was telling me he loved his show but we couldn't remember his name, he kept calling him "the guy with the glasses." Wonder if he got into Steven Colbert back when he saw him first as a pumpkin.