The giant inflatable pumpkin that rolled into traffic during Pumpkinfest in Cary has been moved to a new spot: the entrance to Phillips Farms’ corn maze. Owner Michael Phillips said the pumpkin was first taken to the farm’s storage shed, according to USA TODAY.
The roadside incident showed how a loose decoration can become a hazard beyond the event grounds. NBC 7 San Diego reported that Daniel Wester’s video captured the pumpkin passing vehicles beside a fence, as a bystander climbed over to try to stop it. Wester had been driving to the festival with his wife and three-month-old daughter, who remained in the car; he pulled over and joined the effort.
The roles in the recovery were distinct: USA TODAY reported that about four people helped corral the pumpkin, while Wester helped deflate it and move it to the shed. Phillips said the pumpkin was deflated in only a few minutes. He said strong gusts that morning apparently broke the cables securing the inflatable, and USA TODAY reported that the farm later gave Wester and his family free Pumpkinfest tickets in thanks.
A different kind of inflatable accident
The Cary incident involved a farm decoration that rolled toward road traffic, not a balloon in a parade. A historical comparison is the 1997 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City: WUSA9 reported that strong winds sent the Cat in the Hat balloon into a light pole, injuring four people. WUSA9 says regulations followed that accident, but the parade incident does not establish what requirements applied to the farm’s decoration.
