Waikiki Beach Walk® Pumps Up Halloween

 Monster Pumpkin Carving Event on Oct. 21

Outrigger Hotels and Resorts hosts master pumpkin sculptor, Ed Moody, who will tackle and carve a 1,000 pound pumpkin

WAIKIKI, HONOLULU, HAWAII – Ed Moody has met his match – and it’s a 1,000 pound pumpkin. On Sunday, October 21, 2012, the master pumpkin sculptor will take on his arch nemesis, a jack-o-giant, for all to see at Waikiki Beach Walk®. This classic man vs. pumpkin battle takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Waikiki Beach Walk fountain plaza where families and visitors are invited to get into the early spirit of Halloween and enjoy family activities, contests and more.

This pumpkin-palooza will be a great opportunity for kamaaina and guests to spend the morning in Waikiki, getting an early start celebrating Halloween with costumes, carving and contests,” said Conchita Malaqui, general manager of Waikiki Beach Walk. “We’re excited to be the first stop for master pumpkin sculptor Ed Moody, as he tackles other gargantuan gourds later in the week as part of the third annual Pumpkin Carving Festival.”

Michigan-resident Ed Moody brings more than 25 years of pumpkin carving experience with him for this year’s pumpkin production. Pumpkin carving initially began as a fun Halloween activity for Moody and his sons that evolved into a passion for sculpting life-sized pumpkins weighing in at more than 1,000 pounds and attracting tens of thousands of viewers each year.

Waikiki Beach Walk is also hosting local artist Wayne Takazono, who will etch the faces of company founders Roy and Estelle Kelley into a pumpkin in honor of this year’s 65th anniversary of Outrigger Hotels and Resorts. Takazono is an Oahu native with an impressive skill-set, working in a variety of art mediums including charcoals, pastels, watercolors, acrylics, oils as well as extensive experience with wax jewelry-making and sculpting.

The Waikiki Beach Walk pumpkin extravaganza will also feature fun and festive activities for keiki and the whole ohana to enjoy, including a keiki Halloween costume contest, coloring contest, temporary tattoos, prize wheel and giveaways. Lil’ ghouls and goblins are invited to dress up in their favorite Halloween costume for a chance to win prizes from Waikiki Beach Walk merchants and Outrigger Hotels and Resorts. Costumes will be judged at 12 noon on the categories of most creative, cutest, scariest and best overall. 

Families can park with ease that day with $6.00 valet parking (up to four hours) at the Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk (201 Beachwalk) or the Wyndham Vacation Ownership-Waikiki Beach Walk (227 Lewers Street), with any same-day purchase from any Waikiki Beach Walk merchant.

Outrigger Hotels and Resorts is a sponsor of this year’s Pumpkin Carving Festival benefiting two local charities, Keiki o Ka Aina Family Learning Centers and USO Hawaii. The Waikiki Beach Walk event is a prelude to activities taking place later in the week, including an Executive Pumpkin Carve down and Corporate Team Competition in downtown Honolulu on October 24 and Family Day at Windward Mall on October 27. For more information on the Pumpkin Carving Festival, log on to www.pumpkincarvingfestival.org.

Photo Caption:

*Master Pumpkin Carver Ed Moody (R), with his wife Ingrid (L) and Lorry Chong (C), 2011 Miss Hawaii Chinese Queen, at the 2011 Pumpkin Carving Festival in Hawaii (Photo courtesy of Pumpkin Carving Festival)

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