No glowing jack-o’-lanterns on the Harlem Meer this year as Pumpkin Flotilla is called off

Carved jack-o’-lanterns will not glide across the Harlem Meer this Halloween. The Central Park Conservancy has called off this year’s Pumpkin Flotilla, a tradition that has become a victim of its own popularity.

Thousands of visitors hope to be there each year. According to the Conservancy, the event as it is currently set up has no safe way to accommodate a crowd that size.

The flotilla has been part of the Meer since 1993. Each year, New Yorkers brought in pumpkins they had carved by hand. Those were placed on small floats, linked together and fitted with LED lights. Once the sun went down, the lit pumpkins moved over the water in rows, held in place by a kayaker.

Earlier editions offered more than the pumpkins themselves. Families could join arts and crafts projects, and the evening also featured music and magic shows.

What to do with your pumpkin instead

The Conservancy is not asking anyone to skip the carving. On its website, organizers encourage New Yorkers to make a jack-o’-lantern at home and share pictures of the result as a tribute to the flotilla.

“We’re summoning the spirit of the Pumpkin Flotilla!” organizers wrote. They acknowledged that “we can’t gather in person this year” and suggested carvers look to the park’s flowers, animals and landscapes for design ideas.

A new Central Park Halloween event for next year

The park’s uptown end may not go without a Halloween celebration for long. Plans are underway for a different Halloween event in the northern section of Central Park the following year.