By Della Hasselle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN WEST — A nearly 700-pound pumpkin carved to look like a goofy looking, early twentieth-century airplane pilot was on display Friday afternoon at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in an aviation-themed twist on the city’s weekend Halloween festivities.
Complete with carved, old-fashioned goggles, the pumpkin was carved in three hours by painter and Westchester resident Linda Allan. The behemoth vegetable was like a magnet, pulling in tourists visiting the museum.
"That’s gigantic!" California resident Arabelle Siemsen, 7, exclaimed as she walked by. "It's so cool!"
Allan, who carves pumpkins and paints children's murals for a living, was happy to answer questions as she shaped the pumpkin’s toothy grin.
"I have such a cool job," said Allan, 48. "Who the heck would ever think they could do this for a living?"
After carving for 15 years, Allan has learned a lot about pumpkins. Atlantic Giants — the type of pumpkin that grows to be as heavy as 1,800 pounds — are grown without fertilizers. They are, however, given plenty of water, since that’s what comprises 90 percent of their bulk, she said.
"Cleaning it out is the worst part," she added, pointing to a pile of wet, slimy goo and pumpkin seeds next to her.
Allan, who once carved a pumpkin weighing more than 900 pounds, said she hopes to inspire passers-by to get more creative with their own jack-o-lanterns at home.
"I wonder sometimes if I raise the bar for other people when it comes to carving pumpkins," she said.
"You become kind of a pumpkin snob, you know?" she laughed.
