Pumpkin Glow on Stoddard Ave.

The Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow 2026

The Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow 32nd Anniversary

Each year, the hill behind the Greek Orthodox Church in the historic Grafton Hills neighborhood comes alive with the Miami Valley's most extreme jack-o'-lantern display. See close to 1,000 intricately carved pumpkins at this free event for the whole family!

The Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow!

Pumpkin Glow returns again this year to Stoddard Avenue October 26th & 27th, 2026

This fun, FREE event for the whole family returns to the Stoddard Avenue hill behind Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 500 Belmonte Park North in Dayton’s Grafton Hill neighborhood.  

• A fun event for the whole family
• Over 1000 uniquely carved jack-o-lanterns
• Food trucks
• This is a FREE event!  No ticket necessary

Stoddard Avenue will be closed to traffic and open to pedestrians during the event, with parking available at the Dayton Art Institute, the Dayton Masonic Center, and throughout the neighborhood. Food trucks from across the greater Dayton area will be on-site both nights, and the Friends of SICSA will return with goodies benefiting the SICSA Pet Adoption and Wellness Center.

Volunteer opportunities are open to the public in the week before the Glow:

1. Thursday, October 22nd – Pumpkin Gutting
2. Friday, October 23rd and Saturday, October 24th – Tracing and Carving
3. Sunday, October 25th – Final Carving and Pumpkin Placement on the Hill

The pumpkins will be lit on Monday, October 26th, with the display open to the public from 6 to 10 PM, and again on Tuesday, October 27th during the same hours.

This event is made possible by the generous support of Title Sponsor Ram Restoration, along with Keller Williams Advisors, NW Fidelity Title, Jessica Benge and The Benge Mortgage Team, Square One Salon and Spa, and The Schray Team of Pillar to Post Home Inspections.

Started in 1984 by Grafton Hill neighbor Judy Chaffin, lovingly known as “The Pumpkin Lady,” the event has grown from a modest display of 30 pumpkins to nearly 1,000 jack-o’-lanterns over the years.

“The Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow represents the very best of this historic Dayton community, bringing together volunteers from across the region to create a spectacle unlike anything else in the area,” says David Moyer of Keller Williams Advisors, the 2025 Chair of the Glow. 

“Of course, we couldn’t do it without the hundreds of volunteers who show up days before the event to cut, carve, and trace pumpkins. When I saw the opportunity to help keep this event alive, it was a no-brainer—creating a strong sense of community is exactly what we do. There’s so much fun to be had during the process, and we make sure to provide food for volunteers throughout the day. Best of all, the event is always free and open to the public, and we intend to keep it that way.”

Photos: Pumpkin Glow on Stoddard Ave.

Links & Tags

Grafton Hill Association.

Grafton Hill Association - The mission of the Grafton Hill Association, Inc., a non-profit organization, is to unite neighbors and the community in the preservation, restoration and improvement of the Grafton Hill neighborhood.