Each year the city of Encinitas and the Self Realization Fellowship puts on a fun community event that features lots and lots of carved pumpkins. In this post you’ll see 64 photos that may give you great ideas for making your own carved pumpkins. The spectacular array of pumpkins throughout the old downtown area of Highway 101 draws a crowd of all ages.

Crowds line up to view the vast array of carved pumpkins
Adventure Movie Character Carved Pumpkins
The Hobbit

Gollum and Thranduil characters from The Hobbit are featured on the top row or pumpkin carvings.

In addition to Thranduil, you can see the Yazneg character on the right. Or is it Azog?

Yazneg character from the Hobbit
Star Wars

Yoda from Star Wars carved pumpkin

Princess Leia pumpkin

Star Wars Spacecraft pumpkin

Luke Skywalker pumpkin

Luke Skywalker with Yoda carved pumpkin
Marvel Comics and Super Heroes Carved Pumpkins

The Incredible Hulk
Monsters, Scary Animals and Mythical Beasts

Dragon carved pumpkin

A shark eating a shark pumpkin

Another rendition of a mythical dragon

Chinese style dragon

2 different pumpkin monsters
Halloween Theme and Scary Pumpkins

Halloween Haunted House pumpkin

Evil witch with her cat pumpkin carving

Skull profile portrait pumpkin

This headless horseman has a Jack O’Lantern head

Dracula pumpkin

Mad Motorcycle rider
3 Dimensional Carved Pumpkins

A fun variety of 3 dimensional carved pumpkins

3D goblin carved pumpkin

Wacky faced pumpkin

Scary hairy guy pumpkin with missing teeth

Fang bearing lion face pumpkin

Creepy zipper-head 3D pumpkin

2 face pumpkin

3 dimensional elephant face
Beautiful Animals

The King of the Jungle

Resting Tiger pumpkin

Butterfly carved pumpkin

Owl pumpkin

opposite cats

Another lovely butterfly pumpkin

Royal elephant pumpkin

Rising Phoenix pumpkin

Spider web and birds
Cartoon Characters

Characters from Casper the Friendly Ghost

Minion “Bello”

Anna of the movie Frozen

Frozen character Olaf made from stacked white pumpkins

Disney characters Bambie and Thumper

Disney’s Mickey Mouse with Pluto

Mickey Mouse in the movie, Fantasia

Garfield pumpkin

Garfield in a pumpkin

More Minions

Shrek pumpkin

Disney’s Nemo with his Dad
Surfing Culture

Sunset Surf

Old Woody with surfboard

Surfing on a stand up paddle board
Peace and Beauty

Pumpkin version of Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam

Girl in a gown

Taj Mahal pumpkin

Meditating pumpkin
Miscellaneous Carved Pumpkins

Abe Lincoln pumpkin

Steve Jobs profile in Apple on painted pumpkin

Samurai
Want more? See 147 more carved pumpkins on our blog by clicking here. And you’ll find 75 more pumpkin carving ideas from a previous year here.
You’ll find a great collection of pumpkin carving tools as well as lessons in our online shop. Our Pattern Transfer Paper and Pattern Transfer Fabric are wonderful time-savers that also make it easier to carve, giving you better results. Find out more out them here.
Hi Nita
I was really interested in carving the Samurai pumpkin you have done. Can you please help me/show me how to do it PLEASE!
I’m a avid all things Japanese/samurai/ninja fan!
I would really appreciate it.
Thank you so much!
Nashir 🙂
The simple explanation: Do a Google search for samurai b&W clip art, find a graphic that you like. Download it to your computer and print it onto our Pattern Transfer Fabric or Paper. You will find the Pattern Transfer materials and instructions by clicking here. Then carve.
I show all the steps of doing these things in my video lessons, Carving Letters and Words.
Have fun!