Photo Credit: City of Lakewood
Pumpkin Playground at San Martín Park in Lakewood, Calif., is a fairytale destination charmed with a custom pumpkin carriage drawn by two horses and a large Cinderella castle play structure. The reopening of this play space in fall 2014 was the happy ending to a story where nostalgia was temporarily thwarted by immediate safety issues.
In 1963, city council adopted individual themes for playgrounds throughout its park system. A nautical, space age, and storybook theme are still prevalent at three city parks today. The storybook theme married to San Martín Park was affectionately transformed in name to “Pumpkin Park,” a direct correlation to the pair of pumpkin carriages installed in the playground in 1967.
Forty-six years later, the carriages were showing obvious signs of aging. The deterioration of one of the carriages presented an immediate safety concern, forcing its removal from the play area. With the aid of social media, news of the pumpkin carriage’s demise spread swiftly. From Baby Boomers on, generations of residents flooded city hall with concern for the loss of their favorite play structure, the defining element of their community and childhood memories. What is Pumpkin Park without its pumpkin carriage?