Next date: Saturday, November 07, 2026 | 10:00 AM to 02:00 PM
Please don't put it in the trash; bring it to the smash and green your Halloween! In partnership with the Des Plaines Park District, the City is hosting the Pumpkin Smash composting event on Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the north parking lot of Prairie Lakes Community Center (515 E. Thacker St.).
Bring your pumpkins, jack-o'-lanterns, and gourds to the Pumpkin Smash composting event where attendees can toss their pumpkins into the designated dumpster and WasteNot Compost will haul it away for composting. Painted pumpkins are fine, but please remove any non-biodegradable materials such as candles, googly eyes, stickers, plastic and yarn.
We are also collecting plastic and foil candy wrappers for recycling both at the Pumpkin Smash event and in a special drop-off bin in the City Hall lobby throughout November. It’s a simple way to give those wrappers a second life and stay out of the landfill.
Prairie Lakes North Parking Lot, 515 E. Thacker St., Des Plaines, IL, 60016, View Map
Free