Although it’s still the middle of summer, I must admit my fervent hankering for fall. All those crackling leaves and carved pumpkins are certainly my idea of a good time. If you’re like me and eager for pastimes where mosquitos have retired and squash rule the season, then I’ve discovered the perfect year-round getaway for you: Meadowbrooke Gourds in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Nestled in a bucolic setting just a half hour from capital city Harrisburg, Meadowbrooke Gourds has singlehandedly transformed an oft-overlooked crop into a true art from. With everything from birdhouses and luminaries to festive fare including Halloween and Christmas décor, this is a place that makes every day feel like a holiday.
On the suggestion of my always accommodating in-laws who live within miles of Meadowbrooke Gourds, my husband and I went for our first visit to the impressive showroom last month where there are adorable gourd creations for virtually all tastes. Although we took no photos of the inside (the soft lighting would make flash photography a misery for everyone, customers and staff alike), that didn’t stop us from having a grand excursion outside where several “stunt” gourds fashioned into small houses were waiting to be explored. Yes, this place is precisely the right calibration of weird and whimsy, and I loved every mugging-for-the-camera minute of it.
If you plan ahead, you might even be able to catch a gourd-crafting class. Upcoming events include flamingo gourds and headless horseman gourds. Seriously. The fact that there are places in the world that show you how to transpose a flamingo on a gourd truly makes me believe in the fun-loving good of humanity.
But even if you can’t make it to a class, you can pick up a take-home gourd craft kit. My husband and I will be fighting over who gets the black cat gourd kit and who gets the pumpkin gourd kit (pictured above along with its real-life inspiration below). But no matter who gets which gourd project, let’s face it: as long as we each get to craft a ridiculously adorable gourd into anthropomorphic creature, we both win.
Intrigued? Be sure to visit the Meadowbrooke Gourds website to find up-to-date hours as well as information about special events and classes. Gourds never had it so good.
Happy haunting!