Twin Cities' new "pumpkin concierges" turn porches into fall art
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Designs by Pumpkin Lake (left) and Sota Pumpkin. Photos: Courtesy of Michelle Rollins and Jessica Zehringer
A growing field of "pumpkin concierges" will deliver custom-designed gourd displays for those willing to drop serious dollars on their seasonal decor.
The big picture: Professional porch decorating is becoming big business, with services cropping up in cities ranging from Denver to Washington, D.C.
- At least two — Pumpkin Lane Delivery and Sota Pumpkins — have recently launched in the Twin Cities.
- One entrepreneur told Business Insider that her Texas-based porch pumpkin business makes six figures, and she's starting to franchise.
What to expect: Packages can vary, from eye-catching clusters to abundant displays that cascade down a home's entryway. Add-ons like hay bales, cornstalks, and even disco ghosts are also available.
- Local prices start at $279 and can surpass $1,000 for installations that pile 50-plus pumpkins across a large entryway.
How it works: The companies source, deliver and set up the pumpkins and can come and remove the displays once the season is over.
What they're saying: Michelle Rollins, an advertising veteran who launched Pumpkin Lane last year after seeing similar business thrive in Texas, said most clients are looking for a "spectacular moment" that "makes the season really magical."
- "It's spreading joy in that way," said Rollins, who has already installed over 800 pumpkins this season.
Between the lines: Both Rollins and Jessica Zehringer, who founded Sota Pumpkins with her husband Jordan last year, said busy families are their biggest customer base so far.
- Zehringer said many love that they can add whimsy without having to do the time- and labor-intensive work of sourcing and hauling the pumpkins themselves.
Case in point: Danielle Okposo became a fan of the porch pumpkin trend while living in New York with her husband — retired NHL player Kyle Okposo — and four Halloween-obsessed young kids.
- But the idea of DIYing a display for her new home in Deephaven, where neighbors go all out for the holiday, seemed like a heavy lift. After hearing about Pumpkin Lane from a friend, she rushed to book a slot.
The result: An eye-catching tower of gourds and hay bales that wowed her kids and prompted neighbors to stop and ask where she got it.
- "It adds a festive look to the front of your house," Okposo said. "It elevates the outside and is more welcoming."
Inside the installation: Becoming a pumpkin decorator takes style — and strength. Both Rollins and the Zehringers store and haul the heavy gourds themselves, using cars, trucks and trailers.
- "Who needs to go to the gym when you're gonna squat and pick up these pumpkins?" Rollins joked.
Pro tip: Book your spot before the leaves turn.
- Pumpkin Lane, which started taking orders in July and is entering its final delivery week for regular packages, has already sold out of several of its offerings, including a blue-accented bundle that raised money for the Annunciation families.
- Sota Pumpkin's season goes through the first three weeks of October.
The bottom line: The porch pumpkin trend looks like the latest evolution of outsourcing holiday chores like installing festive lights, decorating trees and wrapping gifts.
Bonus: Pumpkin design tips from the pros
🎃 Variety is key for a dazzling display, Rollins and Zehringer both said. They employ pumpkins of various shapes, sizes and colors, and use props like hay bales or flowers (real and fake both work) to fill it out and add depth and height.
- "You really need the more specialized shapes to make it more whimsical and fun to look at," Rollins, who hopes to work with farmers to grow her preferred varieties from seed, said. "If it's just jack o' lanterns, it's not going to be fun."
🧑🌾 Go local: Both companies source their products from area farms, ensuring they get high-quality, fresh pumpkins that haven't spent time in cardboard shipping containers.
🪩 It's OK to stray from traditional autumnal vibes. Rollins used pops of color, sequins and a disco theme to match one client's hot pink door last year.
- The Zehringers' "neutrals" package featuring white gourds and pastel "fairy tale" pumpkins is also popular.
📆 Pumpkins can last six to eight weeks as long as there aren't extreme temperature swings. Spraying or washing a gourd in a bleach/water solution will kill dirt and bacteria, extending its shelf (or porch) life.
- For carved pumpkins, petroleum jelly can lock in moisture and delay rotting, Jordan Zehringer said.
🐿️ Keeping critters from nibbling at the decor can be a challenge.
- The Zehringers use an animal-safe hot pepper spray — available at hardware stores — as a repellant on their deliveries. Vinegar and peppermint essential oil are other options.