Good Gourd! Golden Valley Neighborhood’s Giant Pumpkins Turns into Perfect Photo Op
Golden Valley residents competing over giant pumpkins share their love of fall with visitors.
Lisa Gemlo stood in her front yard on Kelly Drive as she admired her giant pumpkin from this year’s competition.
“What we have here is the fruits of our labor [from] the summer,” Gemlo said while pointing to several pumpkins sitting near the curb.
Gemlo’s neighborhood has participated in a friendly pumpkin growing competition for 32 years. Despite growing a 528-pound pumpkin this year, dubbed “Big Squash,” the Gemlos came in second place. A neighbor of theirs just up the street brought in a 1,000-pound pumpkin to seal the win.
In continuing with the season’s festivities, Gemlo and her husband, Chris, created a selfie stop in front of their home. They wanted to give people a local alternative to the pumpkin patches that are often located outside of the metro.
Local residents in Golden Valley created a selfie station to give visitors a fall backdrop in their photos.
Once visitors arrive to the station, they have a makeshift stand to place their phones. They then seat themselves next to an assortment of flowers and gourds for their fall-themed photos. Chris Gemlo posted about the station on a Golden Valley Facebook group causing many to heed his call.
“I’m told that my neighbors have done it at least four times because their little girl wants to come and do it each time,” Lisa Gemlo said.
The Gemlos plan to keep their selfie station display up through Halloween turning some of their pumpkins into Jack-o’-lanterns to give visitors a spooky backdrop for their photos.
Abdi Mohamed, reporting
