Fall at the Gartenschau, Kaiserslautern

Every fall, the Gartenschau (literally, "Garden show") puts together a thematic exhibit with pumpkins and other fall accoutrements. The Gartenschau is one of Kaiserslautern's main tourist attractions (besides the football/soccer stadium). As a giant park with lovely gardens, it's a pleasant place to visit for both residents and guests. Much of it is catered toward children, with a huge playground and even a skateboard park. Of course, one mustn't forget the huge display of dinosaur statues, too.

I stopped by for another annual event: the giant pumpkin contest. Local farmers truck in giant pumpkins for a competition. The winning pumpkin was 650 kilograms, or 1,433 pounds - what a big Bessie that one was. There was even a (friendly) unofficial competition between two of the entrants. It was a competition of who could grow the longest squash. It cracks me up how people will complete over seemingly anything!  A bonus of the weighing pumpkin fest is that it's outside of the Gartenschau's gates and is free to attend.

This week, I visited the Gartenschau itself. There were many pumpkin displays and 3D pumpkin sculptures; this year's theme was the (American) West.

The Gartenschau is open until October 31. There is a large playground, a skateboard park, snack stands, a gift shop, dinosaur sculptures, putt putt golf, and even a small restaurant up the hill. It makes for a nice visit.