Rossville’s pumpkin predicament has been settled, and the strawberry takes the crown!
The community cast 122 votes in Rossville Middle/High School’s pumpkin design contest, with only four votes separating the top three finishers. The Strawberry Pumpkin earned first place with 34 votes, followed closely by the Believe Pumpkin with 33 votes. The ghost design finished third with 30 votes.
The winning Strawberry Pumpkin brought a cheerful twist to the fall competition. Its bright red surface, yellow seeds, sweeping green leaves, and white blossoms transformed an ordinary pumpkin into an oversized berry. Even its tall stem became part of the design, painted green to complete the look. That sweet approach secured the victory by just one vote.
The second-place Believe Pumpkin made a bold impression with a striking black-and-white design. A carefully painted muscular figure stood out against the dark background, paired with the word “BELIEVE” in large white letters. Its strong contrast and detailed brushwork drew nearly enough votes to claim the top spot.
A ghost design took third place, offering a playful take on a Halloween favorite. A white ghost appeared in a peaceful outdoor scene featuring green grass, a wooden fence, a small dog, and a blue sky dotted with clouds and a rainbow. The picture turned something traditionally spooky into a colorful countryside scene.
The contest began with a generous donation of pumpkins from Mike Stahl of Top Banana Farm Market in Kokomo, delivered by Leonard Baxter of M & W Trucking. Under the guidance of art teacher Christy Schaefer, Rossville’s art students chose their own designs and transformed the pumpkins into individual works of art.
Other entries brought Spider-Man, Mike and Sully from Monsters, Inc., and Ghostbusters into the friendly fall showdown. The pumpkins were displayed outside the art room and featured during the October 23 Haunted Hallway event, giving visitors an opportunity to enjoy the students’ creativity.
With three very different designs finishing within four votes of one another, the results reflected just how difficult it was to choose a favorite.
Thank you to everyone who voted, to the community partners who made the project possible, and to Mrs. Schaefer and her students for sharing their imagination and talent. This year, a strawberry earned the most votes, but every pumpkin gave the community something to smile about.