Underwater Pumpkin Carving Demo At Aquarium Kicks Off Wednesday

  • Tuesday, October 1, 2024
  • Alison Pryor, Tennessee Aquarium
Volunteer SCUBA divers Todd Arrants, left, and Barry Bullard carve pumpkins in the Tennessee River exhibit at the Tennessee Aquarium in 2023 for ODDtober
Volunteer SCUBA divers Todd Arrants, left, and Barry Bullard carve pumpkins in the Tennessee River exhibit at the Tennessee Aquarium in 2023 for ODDtober
photo by Tennessee Aquarium

The Tennessee Aquarium is celebrating the start of ODDtober with an underwater pumpkin carving demonstration. Two costumed SCUBA divers will descend into the River Giants exhibit to create and show off themed jack-o’-lanterns alongside enormous Arapaima, Barramundi, Giant Whiptail Stingrays, and a variety of super-sized catfish species.

This popular event also will be streamed live on the Aquarium’s Facebook page.

It will begin at 11 a.m. at the Tennessee Aquarium River Journey building.

The event helps kickoff ODDtober, a month-long celebration focused on the weird and wonderful side of nature. Throughout ODDtober, creatures’ unique adaptations will be highlighted, and pumpkins and other seasonal decorations will pop up in interesting places.

Visitors may enjoy divers continuing this spook-tacular tradition throughout ODDtober with weekly pumpkin carving demonstrations on Saturdays at 2 p.m.

It is especially challenging to carve jack-o’-lanterns underwater since pumpkins float. As they work, volunteer SCUBA divers will use dive weights to keep their creations at depth. While it’s recommended that everyone leave underwater pumpkin carving to the experts, you can create your own JAW-some jack-o’-lanterns using templates designed by the Aquarium. Alligator, shark, lemur, and penguins are among eight carving templates that families can download and print for free.

Volunteer SCUBA divers Dr. Lisa Shier, left, and Marie Dement carve pumpkins in the Tennessee River exhibit at the Tennessee Aquarium in 2022 for ODDtober
Volunteer SCUBA divers Dr. Lisa Shier, left, and Marie Dement carve pumpkins in the Tennessee River exhibit at the Tennessee Aquarium in 2022 for ODDtober
photo by Tennessee Aquarium
Travel
McLemore Announces International Hospitality Partnership With Seaton House And Dunluce Lodge
  • 6/23/2025

McLemore, a golf club and resort destination perched atop Lookout Mountain, announced a collaboration with recently opened and already famed United Kingdom hospitality properties, Seaton House ... more

Record 1.6 Million Tennesseans Expected To Travel For July 4th Week
  • 6/20/2025

AAA projects 72.2 million Americans will travel domestically during the Independence Day holiday period (Saturday, June 28 to Sunday, July 6). This represents an increase of 1.7 million travelers ... more

Chattanooga To Host Global Storytellers For 2026 Women In Travel Summit
Chattanooga To Host Global Storytellers For 2026 Women In Travel Summit
  • 6/19/2025

Chattanooga has been selected as the host city for the 2026 Women in Travel Summit (WITS), taking place May 29–31, 2026, at The Chattanoogan Hotel. Organized by Wanderful, WITS is the premier ... more