Carve out some time together this Halloween
Carved jack-o'-lantern glowing with the number 40 and the word YEARS

40th Annual Contest · October 1 – October 31, 2026

It's all about the carve.
2026 Carving Contest

Forty years of jack-o'-lanterns, and this year the pumpkin is the whole story. Pick a category, carve your best work, and email us the photos for a shot at the $2,500 grand prize.

Enter by emailOfficial rules

How it works

01 · Entry period

6:00 A.M. EDT October 1, 2026 through 11:59 P.M. EDT October 31, 2026.

02 · How to enter

Email photos of your carved pumpkin to PumpkinMastersContest@signaturebrands.com. Up to 5 JPG or PNG images per category entry.

03 · Judging

A panel of Pumpkin Masters® employees judges all entries November 1–2, 2026.

04 · Winners announced

November 3, 2026 on the Pumpkin Masters Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Seven categories

Enter as many categories as you like — one entry per category. Every entry must feature a carved pumpkin.

01

Best Use of Lighting

Let your carving shine. Pumpkins must be carved, but how you illuminate the design is entirely up to you — colorful lights, layered lighting, projections, flickering effects. Judging focuses on how the lighting transforms the pumpkin and brings the design to life.

02

Master Carver

For the artists who take carving to the next level. Highly detailed, technically impressive carvings from an original design. Judges consider precision, difficulty, depth, texture, creativity and craftsmanship.

03

Pumpkin Display

Turn your front porch into a Halloween showstopper. A complete outdoor display with one or more carved pumpkins as the stars. Props, decorations, lighting and special effects encouraged.

04

Beginner Pumpkin

Every master carver has to start somewhere. Built for children and beginning carvers — simple, silly, spooky or completely imaginative. Adult supervision encouraged, but the child should be the primary creator.

05

Most Original Pattern

Show us something we've never seen before. Entries must feature an original design rather than a pattern copied from a book, kit or online template. Sketch it, carve it, make it your own.

06

You Tried! #NailedIt

Maybe the pattern was harder than expected. Maybe the pumpkin had other plans. This lighthearted category celebrates the carvings that didn't turn out quite as imagined — be proud that you tried.

07

Halloween Spirit Award

Keep the classic jack-o'-lantern tradition glowing. The best traditional carved pumpkin — iconic faces, expressions and spooky charm, mischievous, cheerful or downright frightening.

The prizes

$2,500

Grand Prize

One winner across all categories

$1,000

Runner Up

One winner across all categories

$100

Category Winner

Gift card plus a Pumpkin Masters® prize pack — one in each of the 7 categories

Total approximate retail value of all prizes: $4,375. One prize per entrant.

What to include in your entry

Email your entry to PumpkinMastersContest@signaturebrands.com with up to five (5) JPG or PNG images. Entries missing required information may be disqualified.

  • 1.Your full name
  • 2.Your age, and confirmation that you are at least 18
  • 3.Your city and state or province
  • 4.Your phone number and email address
  • 5.The single category you're entering
  • 6.Confirmation that the carved design and photos are your own original work
  • 7.For Beginner Pumpkin: the first name and age of the child who carved the pumpkin, and confirmation that you are their parent or legal guardian

The fine print

No purchase necessary
No purchase necessary to enter or win. Making a purchase does not increase your chance of winning.
Eligibility
Open to residents of the United States and Canada who are at least 18 years old at the time of entry. Void in Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Quebec and where prohibited. Winners from the past two years may enter but are not eligible to win prizes.
Entries for a child
A pumpkin carved by a minor may be entered in the Beginner Pumpkin category only by a parent or legal guardian who is 18 or older. That adult is the entrant for all purposes and receives any prize awarded. The child must be the primary creator of the carved pumpkin.
Judging
All winners are selected by a panel of Sponsor employees at the Sponsor's sole discretion. Grand Prize and Runner Up are judged on creativity, technical execution and overall impact across all entries. Odds depend on the number of submissions received.
Winner notification
Potential winners are notified by email and must respond within 48 hours. Winners must complete eligibility, liability and publicity documents before a prize is awarded. All taxes are the sole responsibility of each winner. No substitutions.
Submissions
All submissions become the sole property of the Sponsor and will not be returned. Entrants agree that the Sponsor may post winners' names and submissions on its website and social accounts. Submissions must not contain offensive, unsafe or third-party copyrighted content.
Sponsor
Signature Brands, LLC, 1930 SW 38th Ave, Suite 300, Ocala, FL 34474, on behalf of its Pumpkin Masters® brand. This Contest is governed by the laws of the State of Florida. Not sponsored, endorsed or administered by Facebook, Instagram or Meta Platforms, Inc.
Winner's list
After November 3, 2026, send a request and a separate self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Sponsor address above.

Ready to light one up?

Grab a kit, pick your category, and carve something worth photographing.

Submit your entry