Ohio State alumnus-turned-squash-carver returns to Circleville Pumpkin Show

Jillian Pavlish, Maya Neyman, Andres Ibarra, Christian Harsa
Thu, 28 Oct 2021 01:36:33 +0000
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Gus “Squashcarver” Smithhisler, a 1994 Ohio State alumnus, has been carving pumpkins professionally for more than 19 years.

The Circleville Pumpkin Show boasts over 300 food booths, games and craft vendors, but only one professional pumpkin carver.?

Gus “Squashcarver” Smithhisler, a 1994 Ohio State alumnus, sculpts one-of-a-kind pumpkins that can be tailored for any event. Smithhisler said he has been carving pumpkins professionally for more than 19 years, and his work can be found all over central Ohio, including at the Columbus Zoo, the Ohio State Fair and the Circleville Pumpkin Show.?

“I’d like to think that I started the carving here in central Ohio,” Smithhisler said. “I started over in Indiana, and then I brought it over here. I love working with other sculptors — seeing what they do, getting ideas from them and giving them ideas.”?

The annual Circleville Pumpkin Show has been a tradition in Circleville, Ohio, since 1903, boasting an annual attendance of more than 400,000 people over the span of four days and nights, according to the show’s website.?

Smithhisler has been carving pumpkins at the show since 2005 and said October is his busiest month of the year.?

“I carve every weekend in October, every last two weekends in September, and several days during the week I’ll do demonstrations for nursing homes, for urban societies, for schools and stuff like that,” Smithhisler said. “So I’m carving almost every day in October.”

Smithhisler said missing out on carving at the Circleville Pumpkin Show last year due to the pandemic was difficult for him but offered a much-needed break, allowing him to rebound this year better than ever.?

“Normally, I’m carving every weekend and even sometime during the week, so last year was relaxing in a way because I actually got a break in October, but it was disappointing because I didn’t get to do a lot of carving,” Smithhisler said. “I think the break helped me refresh a little bit. I think that the sculptures have turned out better this year than ever before.”