The BBC.co.uk website has an article about how the police have successfully quashed the 2009 Halloween Naked Pumpkin run, a yearly event that takes place on the Pearl St. Mall here in Boulder, CO. Here’s a link to the article. I was down on the Mall to film a flash mob and although it was fun to film I felt a little pang of sadness that I wans’t going to be sprinting after 200 naked people with my video camera in hand. This year, there were around 4000 people on the mall, mostly in costume, all having a good time. The demise of the annual Pumpkin Run was also reported in the Wall St. Journal – the article can be found here. I’m sad that the good natured, fun event has been shut down by Mark Beckner, Boulder’s Chief of Police but I have a feeling that this won’t be the end of the Naked Pumpkin Run.
Police quash nude pumpkin run
A snow-covered pumpkin lantern sits outside a home in Denver, Colorado
Many of this year’s runners got cold feet over the threat of legal action
A “zany” annual Halloween tradition has failed to materialise in Boulder, Colorado, with the threat of police action quashing the Nude Pumpkin Run.
Each year, dozens have run down the city’s streets wearing only shoes and a hollowed-out pumpkin on their heads.
Police said “full” participants this year faced indecent exposure charges.
Up to 100 officers were deployed around Boulder this Halloween. As of early Sunday, local media reports said only one Halloween-related arrest was made.
“I have heard people say, ‘It’s just not worth it. Let’s not go down [to the city’s mall]’,” Boulder’s Police Chief Mark Beckner told local newspaper the Daily Camera.
‘Legal threat’
Local reports say with up to 4,000 people taking part in Halloween revelry, a handful of individuals did take part in the run, but that when police caught up with them they were sufficiently clothed as to be “within the law”.
A Boulder police spokesperson said as of early morning Sunday only one Halloween-related arrest had been made, which was not connected to the Naked Pumpkin Run.
A charge of indecent exposure could have led to participants being registered as sexual offenders.
Last year, some 150 people turned out naked for the 10th event of its kind.
Similar runs have also taken place in other US cities including Seattle, Portland and Arcata.
On its website, the group had warned potential runners that “the violation of the Western societal more, enforced by law, of unclothed public exposure can indeed land you legal consequences.
“Furthermore, the decision to participate is yours and yours alone,” it added.