Gourd riddance: Knights carry out king of all pumpkin smashes at Medieval Times

  • Sir Cyrus smashes a pumpkin with a mace Friday as he and fellow knights at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Schaumburg obliterated donated pumpkins. Every pumpkin donated to the event resulted in a free ticket to a show for Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago.

      Sir Cyrus smashes a pumpkin with a mace Friday as he and fellow knights at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Schaumburg obliterated donated pumpkins. Every pumpkin donated to the event resulted in a free ticket to a show for Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago. Brian Hill | Staff Photographer

  • Sir Corey smashes a pumpkin with a mace Friday as he is surrounded by fellow Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament knights who also destroyed donated pumpkins outside the Schaumburg castle. Every pumpkin donated to the event resulted in a free ticket to a show for Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago.

      Sir Corey smashes a pumpkin with a mace Friday as he is surrounded by fellow Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament knights who also destroyed donated pumpkins outside the Schaumburg castle. Every pumpkin donated to the event resulted in a free ticket to a show for Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago. Brian Hill | Staff Photographer

  • Sir Corey spikes a pumpkin as Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament knights smash donated pumpkins Friday in Schaumburg.

      Sir Corey spikes a pumpkin as Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament knights smash donated pumpkins Friday in Schaumburg. Brian Hill | Staff Photographer

  • Sir David blasts a pumpkin with a mace Friday while surrounded by fellow Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament knights outside the Schaumburg castle.

      Sir David blasts a pumpkin with a mace Friday while surrounded by fellow Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament knights outside the Schaumburg castle. Brian Hill | Staff Photographer

 
Brian Hill
 
 
Updated 11/5/2021 3:53 PM

A small group of hearty and honorable men gathered late Friday morning to smash things for a good cause.

Knights from Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament -- wielding swords, flails, axes and other 14th century weaponry -- ransacked their way through piles of donated pumpkins outside the Schaumburg castle.

 

Beyond the pure exhilaration of messy mayhem, the seasonal combat exercises serves a higher purpose: Every past-its-peak pumpkin donated by Medieval Times fans translated into a free Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament ticket for Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago.

The yearly event did not take place last year because of the pandemic.

National Pumpkin Destruction Day is historically celebrated on the first Saturday following Halloween.

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