11th annual Great Glass Pumpkin Patch

What is the Great Glass Pumpkin Patch?

Pick out your very own handmade blown glass pumpkin at the 11th annual Great Glass Pumpkin Patch! We will have over 500 glass pumpkins for display and sale spread out on the lawn like a real pumpkin patch. All of the pumpkins are made by the members of the Bloomington Creative Glass Center. This event is traditionally our biggest fundraiser and the proceeds from the pumpkin sales go to underwrite our educational arts programming throughout the year.

The event is rain or shine! Cash, check and credit card accepted.

Will there be a Pumpkin Preview?

Yes! This year the Pumpkin Preview will be entirely virtual through Facebook and Youtube. We will give a virtual walkthrough and show you everything we have made, inspiring you to start making your plans for this year's Patch! The Pumpkin Preview will go live Saturday September 26. We will share the link via our email list, Facebook, and Instagram.

Can I purchase at the Preview like in previous years?

Because this year’s Preview will be a video, the complexity that would add to sales means that we will not be doing any pre-sales at this year's Preview.

How many pumpkins will there be this year?

We anticipate having between 400-500 pumpkins available.

Are you limiting how many pumpkins a person can buy?

Not this year.

What does the money raised go for?

The money raised at BCGC’S Great Glass Pumpkin Patch go to fund our nonprofit's mission of bringing affordable, high quality education about glass to people in southern Indiana. The funds help underwrite our public school programs and our monthly public art events.

How are you going to keep us all safe during this pandemic year?

We care very deeply about the safety of our patrons, volunteers and staff. We are taking every precaution to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Precautions include requiring everyone who enters the Patch to wear a mask and gloves; limiting the number of patrons in the Patch to 15 at any time; holding the event outside in the open air; and frequent cleaning of surfaces.

Will there be a line this year?

No line. We all know that standing in line close together is a bad idea this year! Instead, to get into this year’s Patch, you will need to get an electronic ticket online. This ticket will reserve your 15-minute time slot to enter the Patch. (For example, you might have a reservation for 10:30-10:45 a.m., or 11-11:15.) We ask that patrons arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before their assigned time slot.

How soon can I get a ticket?

We will announce a live link to the ticket site beginning at noon on October 1st.

How do I get a ticket? How will the link to the ticket site be announced?

At noon on October 1, the ticket  link will be mailed to the patrons on our email list. The following day the link will be posted to the general public, online and on social media. Registration for tickets is first come, first served.

Do tickets cost anything?

There will be a range of ticket prices depending on the time slot. The earlier time slots have more expensive tickets. The tickets range in price from $100 for the first slot of the day down to free by noon.

Wait, we pay for tickets to enter the Patch this year?

Yes. We are grateful that so many of our fans have asked how they can help BCGC continue to stay open and provide services during this challenging year. Since the Pumpkin Patch is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and one of the most popular ways for our community to support our mission, we wanted to make this a flexible opportunity for the community to offer BCGC their support.

How many tickets will there be?

We are capping the number of tickets available to 500. If we run out of pumpkins we will let all remaining ticket holders know via text.

Can anyone come in?

Given the constraints of this unusual year, the Patch is only open to people ages 5 and up. (Infants confined in a stroller or carrier are permitted; you do not need a ticket for an infant). You must have an electronic ticket to enter the Patch.

If you would like to come with your whole family but do not want to get them all tickets, there will be a free designated viewing area next to the Patch, where ticket holders’ companions can watch and interact with folks inside the Patch! This viewing area will be limited to companions of that time slot’s ticket holders.

Will there be a place for other interested spectators?

We will have a viewing area for interested public but we will ask folks to limit their viewing to five minutes, and remain socially distanced.

Can I bring my dog or other pet with me?

Service animals are welcome in the patch. We ask that you leave all other pets at home.

I like to look at every pumpkin. How long will I be allowed to stay in the patch?

We are asking everyone to pick their pumpkin(s) and move on to check out within 15 minutes. There will be fewer people in the patch, and there are fewer pumpkins than some years, so we believe this will be enough time. We will not let the next group in until everyone from the previous group has moved through.

Should I bring my own basket or box to carry my pumpkins inside the Patch?

You are more than welcome to bring your own carrying container. We will provide a cardboard carrying box for anyone who needs one while inside the patch.

What if I run into trouble and miss my time slot?

If you are unable to make your slot and know ahead of time, please contact us and let us know ASAP so we can make other arrangements for you. If you do not let us know ahead of time, due to the tight schedule, we will not be able to let you in at a later time and will not be able to refund you any ticket costs.

In the unfortunate event that you miss your time slot, we will be happy to make them a custom pumpkin after October 15. Details here.

Too confusing for me! Is there some other way I can get my pumpkin this year?

Yes! Because we anticipate selling out at the Patch, this year we are offering an online pumpkin order option! You can order at any time, but we will not begin to make these special-order pumpkins until after October 15. Expect order completion between Nov 1-30. You can find the order form here.

Will there be afternoon arts activities like in other years?

Although we will not be leading arts activities at the Patch, all day we will be offering arts kits for purchase that you can take home and make. Suitable for ages 5+.

I want to help! Can I volunteer?

Yes! We are looking for volunteers to help with this year's patch. We ask each volunteer to be able to commit to a 3-4 hour shift either Sept 19, 21, Oct 9, or Oct 10.You must be comfortable lifting at least 10# and be comfortable handling glass. All volunteers will be allowed to purchase one pumpkin ahead of the opening of the patch. Sign up to volunteer in September or October here.

I think BCGC is amazing in every way! Can I donate to you?

I am so glad you asked! You can donate anytime to BCGC at our Paypal site. And we think you are amazing too!