Whether you prefer simple carved faces on pumpkins or more elaborate designs, begin with a pumpkin bought from a local market or pumpkin patch such as:

Kerber's Dairy - 1856 Guffy Road, North Huntingdon, PA, 15642. Phone: 724-863-6930. Email them at: kerber@kerbers.com. In October, the hills are full of pumpkins waiting to be picked during the Pumpkin Festival. Hayrides are provided (for a fee) from the store on October Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 4:00. Groups may schedule private hayrides during the week or on weekend evenings.

Schramm Farms & Orchards - 1002 Blank Road, Jeannette, PA 15644. Phone: (724) 744-7320. $5 per participant includes a presentation about the farm, pick-your-own pumpkin, hayride, apple cider, entrance to the corn stalk maze and all displays. Entire activity lasts one hour. For the kids (and kids at heart) we have play hay, and a corn stalk maze free of charge.

Some pumpkin tips:

* Never pick the pumpkins up by the stem - hold them underneath.

* For most jack-o-lanterns, choose medium-sized pumpkins with at least one smooth side for the face. Very large pumpkins are time-consuming to carve, although one big one among the others can look quite dramatic.
Small pumpkins can be carved into faces, or left uncarved and nestled around the carved jack-o-lanterns.

* While ordinary kitchen knives and spoons can do the job, investing in a few other tools will make the task easier. Tools should be sturdy and sharp. If you plan to craft a detailed design, a flexible cutting saw is essential. X-Acto knives and flexible boning knives work, too. Ice picks, large nails, and Stylus tools serve as pokers for outlining a stencil design.
A flat ice cream scoop or sturdy metal ladle is handy for scooping out the seeds and pulp.

* Trace the design on the largest, smoothest side of the pumpkin using a pencil or marker.

* If you use a stencil, lay it over the pumpkin and poke a series of tiny holes around the outline of the design. (Use the poker tool for this.)

* By angling the knife inward to form a cone shape, cut a five- or six-sided lid. (A round lid with straight sides can fall into the pumpkin.)

* Clean out the inside of the pumpkin. Take special care with the bottom of the jack-o-lantern so that the candle or flashlight can stand upright. Scrape the side for the face very clean and remove enough flesh so that it's about one inch thick.

* Use a sharp boning knife and a paring knife to cut out the design. Make small, careful cuts.

* Push the pieces out of the pumpkin with your fingers. Inspect your carving and clean up any imperfections.

* Don't carve the pumpkins until a few days before Halloween, jack-o-lanterns last for only two or three days. If it's cool outside, keep them on the porch. Move them out of direct sun during the day. Keep them as cool and shaded as you can.

* If they begin to shrivel too soon, simply submerge them in a tub of cool water and let them soak for an hour or more to absorb moisture.

Here are some do's and don't's for your carved pumpkin:

Do:

- Put it in the compost heap
- Bury it in the garden - it will decay quickly and enrich the soil
- Wash, dry and save the seeds to plant next year (yes, they will grow!)
- Wash and roast the seeds - Yum!
- Put it in the trash, if you don't have a garden

Don't's:

- Keep it indoors: it will rot and stain the floor
- Attempt to eat it or cook with it.

Happy Carving!!