MOUNTAIN BROOK, AL — Sisters, the pumpkins have landed. In what can only be called the only responsible choice, this year’s Capstone Fall Festival will feature 400 pumpkins flown in from a boutique, invitation-only patch in Napa Valley. We had to know someone.
They arrived Monday in climate-controlled crates with their own handler. Each one was grown in volcanic soil and listened to classical music during its formative weeks, according to the laminated card that came with it. At $61 apiece before shipping, they are an investment in the children’s autumn.
Yes, we know there are several pumpkin patches within 15 minutes of school. We looked at them. They were very orange. Aggressively orange. This year’s palette is Sage, Oat and Quiet Money, and a local pumpkin simply cannot deliver that.
Once they arrived, every pumpkin was hand-painted matte cream or sage by a decorative artist from Atlanta, which is really the whole point of getting them from Napa. A dad asked during the meeting why we didn’t just buy cream-colored pumpkins. He has been removed from the committee group chat, and we wish him well.
The children will be able to enjoy the pumpkins from behind a velvet rope. A separate bin of standard pumpkins will be available for carving over by Heritage Lane.