WVHS artists and craftspeople win Crystal Springs Jack-O-Lantern contest again

_{See a gallery of pictures from before and during the event below this story!}

The annual Jack-O-Lantern Walk competition invites high school students to compete in conceptualizing, carving and installing unique pumpkin displays on the Crystal Springs grounds. Resort members, guests and community members are welcome to stroll through each team's pumpkin patch and cast their votes in various categories. This year's team, as always, included carvers and craftspeople from Kristen Spano's Portfolio & Art Careers class and extracurricular Art Club, and students in Rocco Manno's Set Construction & Woodworking class. 

Warwick Valley has competed the past four years and went into this year having won previously for displays based on popular movies and TV series including Coraline, Ghostbusters, and last year's winner Game of Thrones. The win for their Willy Wonka display was their third win in a row.  

“Congratulations to Mr. Manno and Ms. Spano’s students for winning the grand prize for the third consecutive year,” said Dr. Georgianna Diopoulos, WVHS Principal. “The level of creativity and collaboration displayed was truly exceptional, and we couldn’t be prouder!”

The whimsical Wonka display featured peppermint-patterned pumpkins wrapped in cellophane to resemble candies lining the perimeter. Lighting design included a mix of LED, solar and blacklight. A trio of Oompa Loompas greeted visitors at the entrance to the WVHS display, created by carving faces onto pumpkins and placing them atop wooden cutouts built by set students and painted by portfolio students. A similarly constructed Charlie stood at the center of the display. Pumpkin patch walkers were delighted by the immersive nature of the display, created by the impressive scale of the pieces, the dramatic lighting, and the finishing touches of bubbles floating through the night sky to the strains of the song Pure Imagination.

Along with bringing home overall grand prize, $1,000 that will be donated to the PTSA for student scholarships, the Warwick Valley team was also awarded the Team Collaboration Award. Additionally, Warwick Valley's Sofia Ayupov earned the competition's People's Choice Award (and a $100 gift card) for her intricate carving of Charlie.

“Mr. Manno and I could not be more proud of our students for all of the creativity and hard work they put into making this year's scene," said Ms. Spano of the collaborative energy that is a hallmark of the jack-o-lantern team year after year. "This is our third year in a row -- Ghostbusters, Game of Thrones and now Willy Wonka!”

Congratulations, everyone... and Happy Halloween!