For the straight fourth year, First Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights will host a pumpkin smash event, where residents can drop off their pumpkins, so they can be turned into compost rather than be discarded in landfills. The free event takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at First Presbyterian Church, 302 N. Dunton Ave. in Arlington Heights.
This local smash event is sponsored by the Illinois Extension program and SCARCE, an Illinois environmental nonprofit dedicated to creating sustainable communities. Together, they started offering pumpkin smash events in 2014.
Pete Landwehr, who is a certified Master Gardener — and a member of First Presbyterian Church — brought the pumpkin smash event to the church.
“When pumpkins are properly composted, the output consists of high-quality organic matter used to enrich garden soils,” Landwehr says. “When buried in landfills, they produce methane gas which pollutes the environment.”
Pumpkin smash at First Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights
Being able to dispose of pumpkins — after all of the Halloween festivities — and help the environment has drawn a big response from local residents. Landwehr reports that in 2023, the event collected 5.98 tons of pumpkins for composting, or nearly 12,000 pounds.
After Saturday’s event, the pumpkins will be transported to a compost facility to be smashed and broken down. Since SCARCE began hosting pumpkin smashes, back in 2014, officials say they have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide.
Hosting the pumpkin smash is a way for First Presbyterian members to carry out their commitment to care for the environment. For Landwehr in particular, it’s another way to promote the benefits of gardening with the community.
Since obtaining his certification as a Master Gardener, Landwehr has manned an answer desk at the Arlington Heights Farmers’ Market, called, Ask A Master Gardener. It has proved to be a popular destination for market patrons. During the 2025 farmers’ market season, together with his fellow Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists, they answered questions from 867 people.
Master Gardener Pete Landwehr answers questions at the Arlington Heights Farmers Market
Landwehr also started a food pantry garden at the Catholic Charities facility in Des Plaines, and most recently he began working with the youth group at First Presbyterian to learn about gardening in combination with their Sunday School lessons.
Becoming certified as a Master Gardener and helping residents of all ages reap the benefits of gardening, has been rewarding for Landwehr. He and his wife have lived in Arlington Heights for 38 years and when Landwehr retired in 2013 after a 40-year career in accounting and finance, he immediately enrolled in the series of 12 classes in the Master Gardener course — and he hasn’t looked back.
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