New Pumpkin Carving Competition Launches in Bury St Edmunds

Bury St Edmunds and Beyond, in partnership with Moyse's Hall Museum and the Salem Witch Museum, is inviting families, schools and budding pumpkin artists to take part in a spooktacular pumpkin carving competition this Halloween.

The competition highlights Bury St Edmunds' fascinating witch trial history and shines a spotlight on the forthcoming new long-term display that will look at the Witch Trials of Bury St Edmunds which will be unveiled on October 31.

Participants are invited to create and carve a pumpkin inspired by the Bury St Edmunds witch trials.

The competition is open to residents of Bury St Edmunds and surrounding villages.

Entries will be open from 20 October to 30 October and will be judged by the Salem Witch Museum in Massachusetts – arguably among the world's foremost experts in all things witchy and wonderfully spooky.

Sue Warren, Head of Marketing of Our Bury St Edmunds BID and tourism brand Bury St Edmunds and Beyond, said: “Halloween and autumn is always a fun time to visit Bury St Edmunds, and this competition is a fantastic way for families and residents to get creative while discovering more about our fascinating local history.

“Combining creativity, community spirit, heritage and a touch of Halloween magic, we're delighted to be partnering with Moyse's Hall Museum and the Salem Witch Museum to mark the unique connection between our two towns. We can't wait to see the imaginative pumpkin designs that people come up with and how they bring Bury St Edmunds' witch trial history and spooky stories to life."

Age Categories

Age 8 and under
Age 9–12
Age 13–17
Age 18+

The Winner of each category will receive:

A heritage ticket for Moyse’s Hall Museum
£20 Bury St Edmunds Gift Card

The judges will be looking for creativity, originality and how well each pumpkin captures the spirit of the theme.

How to Enter

To enter, email competitions@burystedmundsandbeyond.co.uk  between 20 and 30 October and include:

• A photograph of your carved pumpkin
• Full name
• Age
• Postcode
• A short sentence on your pumpkin and what it shows.
• An optional short video clip of your pumpkin (portrait format please), which may be shared across Bury St Edmunds and Beyond and partner social media channels

Full competition Terms & Conditions can be found on the Bury St Edmunds and Beyond website at https://burystedmundsandbeyond.co.uk/blog/bury-st-edmunds-pumpkin-carving-competition

A Tale of Two Witch Trial Locations

The competition forms part of a unique partnership between Moyse's Hall Museum in Bury St Edmunds and the Salem Witch Museum in Massachusetts.

The connection between the two towns stretches back more than 300 years. Historians believe the 1662 Bury St Edmunds witch trial of Amy Denny and Rose Cullender helped influence the legal thinking that would later contribute to the infamous Salem witch trials of 1692. The case was recorded in a publication called A Tryal of Witches, which was consulted by Salem magistrates when determining what evidence could be admitted during the trials.

Today, Moyse's Hall Museum and the Salem Witch Museum are working together to explore this shared history through exhibitions, research and educational exchanges, helping visitors better understand the human stories behind these tragic events.

New long-term display on the Bury St Edmunds witch trials at Moyse's Hall Museum

Moyse’s Hall Museum will be opening a new long-term display on the Bury St Edmunds witch trials on Halloween, 31st October.

Benefiting from new research and academic support, the displays will sit within a new Crime and Superstition gallery that will present a greater context of the world around the trials.

Spooky Guide to Bury St Edmunds

To discover haunted places, ghost tours and spooky events in Bury St Edmunds visit our Spooky Bury St Edmunds Guide.