Pumpkimania festival fills Groot-Bijgaarden Castle near Brussels with pumpkins

The annual Pumpkimania festival is under way at Groot-Bijgaarden Castle in Dilbeek, Belgium, about 10 kilometres from central Brussels. Thousands of pumpkins have turned the castle grounds into a colourful autumn display. The festival runs until 1 November, and organisers expect around 50,000 visitors.

The magic of the forest

This year's theme is “The Magic of the Forest”. Visitors can see tall sculptures of foxes, owls and deer covered in pumpkins of various shapes and sizes, brought in from Belgium, Germany and Portugal. The main attraction is a giant pumpkin weighing 772 kilograms, grown for the castle's traditional weigh-off on 26 September.

Guests can also watch giant pumpkins being turned into makeshift kayaks and used for rides across the castle lake. Pumpkin-carving workshops for families are held at weekends.

Halloween programme

From 24 October, when the Halloween programme begins, the castle will open daily until 7pm. The festivities will conclude with a giant pumpkin-smashing event. Despite a difficult growing season after a hot summer, the displays have still filled the estate with thousands of pumpkins.

Tickets

Entry costs €16 for adults and €9 for children aged 5 to 14. Younger children enter free.