In Colwood, there's more than one way to dispose of a pumpkin post-Halloween. At the inaugural community pumpkin smash, locals will have the choice of smashing, blasting, crushing, rolling or dropping their unwanted jack-o'-lanterns.

The smashing event has been organized to encourage residents to dispose of their pumpkins in a manner which does not attract hungry bears and other wildlife on the hunt for a quick and easy snack.

"Our community has a lovely tradition of displaying Halloween pumpkins along local roads after the holiday," said a city spokesperson in a news release. "Unfortunately, the delicious scent of pumpkins is too tempting to local wildlife. It's important not to attract wildlife into neighbourhoods, for their safety and ours."

Locals can choose from a variety of disposal methods, including: rolling their pumpkin down the hill at city, aiming for a snowblower, which the city says will blow your squash to smithereens; feeding the pumpkin to a heavy duty crusher; blasting it with a fire hose; or simply dropping it from a height and watching it smash.

The new community event is a result of a new wildlife education initiative for 2024, led by the city and Sooke-based organization, Wild Wise, a volunteer-run educational program designed to reduce human-wildlife conflict and promote coexistence.

In September, Wild Wise urged councillors to think of innovative ways to better dispose of pumpkins after the holiday instead of leaving them on Veterans Memorial Parkway. The organization highlighted the rotting gourds, as well as attracting bears, also attract deer, which increase the risk of vehicle collisions.

The city is asking residents, if possible, to also bring a donation for the Goldstream Food Bank.

The Colwood Pumpkin Smash will be held on Saturday, Nov. 2, 12 to 2 p.m. at City Hall.