Brookline residents can hurl their leftover jack-o-lanterns into a compost truck on Thursday, Nov. 5. The Department of Public Works (DPW) is hosting its fourth annual "Go Green After Halloween" event at the West Centre Street Parking Lot.
The free event runs from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. alongside the Brookline Farmers Market, according to the town's announcement. Residents can toss pumpkins and gourds into a truck from Black Earth Compost, which the town's calendar listing names as the composting vendor.
Pumpkins must be free of paint, candles, wax and glitter before drop-off. The DPW asks residents who use the town's Food Waste Drop-Off Program to bring their pumpkins to this event instead of using the regular bins, to avoid overflow.
Gently used costumes are welcome, too. The DPW asks that residents label each costume with a description and size. All collected costumes will go to Lincoln School and be redistributed at the school's Pumpkinfest event in October 2027.
The event is in its fourth year. At the third annual event in late 2025, residents dropped off about 90 pumpkins for composting and more than 30 costumes for redistribution, according to the town's December 2025 newsletter. In 2023, the town reported diverting about 2,000 pounds of pumpkins from the trash and collecting more than 35 pounds of costumes, measuring by weight rather than count.
The parking lot is accessible from the Coolidge Corner T station and the Shailer Street and Harvard Street stop on the Route 66 bus. Residents with questions can contact the DPW's Highway and Sanitation Division.
What to know:
- When: Thursday, Nov. 5, 1:30–6:30 p.m.
- Where: West Centre Street Parking Lot (during the Brookline Farmers Market)
- Bring: Pumpkins and gourds (no paint, wax, glitter or candles); labeled costumes with size noted
- Transit: Coolidge Corner T station; Route 66 bus (Shailer Street/Harvard Street stop)
