Super Mario comes to life in pumpkin form as part of the “Let’s Play” theme at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Exhibition in Ludwigsburg, Germany, through Nov. 1, 2026. (Zade Vadnais/Stars and Stripes)
I love fall, and one of my favorite things about living in Germany is how enthusiastically the country embraces the seasons.
Summer brings outdoor concerts and festivals. Winter means Christmas markets. And when fall rolls around, apparently it’s time to build a giant Super Mario out of pumpkins.
So when I found out the world’s largest pumpkin exhibition was a mere 20 miles away from Stuttgart, how could I resist?
The display takes over the Blühendes gardens in Ludwigsburg each fall, filling the grounds outside the Baroque palace nicknamed the Swabian Versailles with elaborate sculptures made from thousands of gourds.
A Lego figure made from pumpkins stands on display at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Exhibition in Ludwigsburg, Germany, on Sept. 6, 2026. (Zade Vadnais/Stars and Stripes)
This year’s theme, “Let’s Play,” turns the gardens into a sprawling tribute to games, toys and childhood pastimes, with displays ranging from familiar video game characters to old-fashioned diversions.
Super Mario and Pokémon character Charmander bring video games to life in pumpkin form, while a massive PlayStation controller looks ready for a player with equally massive hands.
A Charmander sculpture made from pumpkins stands in front of Ludwigsburg Residential Palace in Ludwigsburg, Germany, on Sept. 6, 2026. (Zade Vadnais/Stars and Stripes)
Nearby, Barbie, a Lego figure and a rocking horse represent toys from different generations. Other displays take the theme in a more traditional direction.
Oversized chess pieces rise from the grounds, carved pumpkin figures sit down for a game of checkers and a girl rolls a hoop with a stick, all decorated in the reds, oranges, yellows and greens of different pumpkin varieties.
Intricately carved pumpkins are on display at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Exhibition in Ludwigsburg, Germany, through Nov. 1. (Zade Vadnais/Stars and Stripes)
The theme is an obvious winner for kids, but much of the fun comes from recognizing things adults grew up playing with, too. There’s something delightfully ridiculous about encountering a childhood icon re-created on a massive scale in pumpkins.
Some displays invite visitors to play along. At a pumpkin-covered puppet theater, levers control a wizard and a rabbit hidden beneath his hat, allowing visitors to make the animal appear and disappear.
Two carved pumpkin figures play checkers at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Exhibition in Ludwigsburg, Germany, on Sept. 6, 2026. (Zade Vadnais/Stars nad Stripes)
The sculptures are built from wood-and-wire frames and covered with carefully arranged pumpkins, transforming an ordinary fall crop into surprisingly detailed characters and scenes.
And the sculptures are only the beginning. Thousands of pumpkins and gourds line pathways and fill patches of the grounds, turning an already colorful garden into an unapologetic celebration of fall.
An outdoor market sells pumpkins and gourds to take home, while an on-site shop offers pumpkin snacks and souvenirs.
An outdoor pumpkin market and pumpkin-flavored foods are among the attractions at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Exhibition in Ludwigsburg, Germany. (Zade Vadnais/Stars and Stripes)
Pumpkin is also the star of the menu, and it’s worth arriving hungry. My husband and I tried pumpkin spaetzle and pumpkin soup served with pumpkin seed bread, two hearty choices well-suited to an early fall day.
Other offerings around the exhibition include pumpkin spaghetti, pumpkin burgers and pumpkin fries. Adults can take the theme a step further with pumpkin ale or pumpkin sparkling wine.
Despite the name, though, the pumpkin exhibition is only part of what there is to see. The palace’s sprawling gardens remain an attraction in their own right.
Flamingos and other exotic birds offer an unexpected detour from the pumpkin displays, while the landscaped grounds surrounding the Baroque palace make it easy to spend several hours wandering beyond the exhibition.
The Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Exhibition, seen here on Sept. 6, 2026, welcomes leashed dogs throughout the gardens. (Austin Vadnais/Courtesy)
We brought our dog, who was welcome in the gardens, and plenty of families navigated the grounds with strollers. The well-maintained gravel paths make most of the exhibition easy to explore, though some areas of the gardens have steeper grades.
The setting is part of what makes Ludwigsburg’s pumpkin spectacle work. One minute you’re strolling through formal palace gardens. The next, you’re standing in front of a giant pumpkin Charmander.
The exhibition also hosts special events throughout its run, including pumpkin weigh-offs, giant-pumpkin carving and the popular pumpkin regatta. During the Sept. 19-20 event, competitors climb into hollowed-out giant pumpkins and paddle across the lake in the palace gardens.
Hundreds of thousands of pumpkins and gourds fill the grounds of the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Exhibition in Ludwigsburg, Germany. (Zade Vadnais/Stars and Stripes)
This year’s exhibition runs through Nov. 1, giving visitors plenty of time to see just how seriously Ludwigsburg takes pumpkin season.
Although the theme may appeal naturally to children, nostalgia doesn’t have an age limit. There’s a good chance something among the thousands of pumpkins will remind you of being a kid.
And if not, there’s always pumpkin ale.
Leashed dogs are welcome to explore the grounds of the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Exhibition, pictured here on Sept. 6, 2026. (Austin Vadnais/Courtesy)
On the QT
Address: Mömpelgardstrasse 28, Ludwigsburg, Germany
Hours: Through Oct. 23, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily; Oct. 24-Nov. 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily
Cost: Adults, 16 euros in person or 14 euros online; students ages 15-28, 9 euros in person or 7 euros online; children ages 4-14, 7 euros in person or 6 euros online; children under 4 get in free
Information: Phone: +49 7141 975 650, online: blueba.de/en
A massive PlayStation controller made from pumpkins looks ready for an equally massive pair of hands at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Exhibition in Ludwigsburg, Germany, seen here on Sept. 6, 2026. (Zade Vadnais/Stars and Stripes)
