Authored By seanphippster

Pumpkins are traditionally orange, but you might see teal pumpkins on front porches this Halloween.

St. Elmo residents have been participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project for the past three Halloweens and are now encouraging other Chattanooga neighborhoods to join in the fun.

Homeowners are asked to place a teal pumpkin-either painted or plastic-on their porches to indicate to trick-or-treaters that nonfood treats are available. Trick-or-treaters will be offered glow sticks, bubbles, stickers, etc., instead of sugary candy.

Started in 2014, the Teal Pumpkin Project was inspired by a local awareness activity run by the Food Allergy Community of East Tennessee. Click here for more information on the project.

St. Elmo resident Alison Van Winkle is encouraging her neighbors to participate in the program because of her own children’s food sensitivities. She said more people in the neighborhood join in each year.

And to be clear, Van Winkle isn’t calling for a ban on candy; rather, the teal pumpkins provide an option for children who have allergies without limiting the trick-or-treat experience.

“It’s not like people should be shunned for giving out candy, but for kids who have peanut allergies, they can still trick-or-treat,” she said. “It’s just a fun way to have awareness so that all kids feel included.”

Van Winkle typically hands out Halloween-themed items such as puzzles, rubber band bracelets, erasers and pencils. Many of the items are purchased during post-Halloween sales at discount retailers.

Participants can also enjoy painting the teal pumpkins together as a family activity.

“You don’t have to paint the pumpkins, but we have more fun painting the pumpkins each year,” she said. “I took our teal pumpkins last year and we used them on our table at Thanksgiving.”

The Teal Pumpkin Project offers various printable signage for download. Participants are encouraged to use the hashtag #TealPumpkinProject on social media.