Say farewell to Halloween tomorrow at Toronto’s annual Pumpkin Parades

Glowing jack-o'-lanterns line the ground people light pumpkins during the 3rd Annual Christie Pits Pumpkin Parade at Christie Pits Park in Toronto Monday, November 1, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

You can let your jack-o-lantern glow one last time tomorrow night at one of Toronto’s annual Pumpkin Parades.

The tradition began at Sorauren Park in 2004 and has since become an annual event taking place at locations all over the city. It’s where residents can go and ‘illuminate the night’ with their ‘spooky, spell-binding jack-o-lanterns,’ according to a press release issued by the city.

This year there are over 45 participating city parks spanning from Etobicoke all the way to Scarborough. Most of the parades begin around dusk and end at 9 p.m.

Each individual parade is organized by community groups and business improvement areas, the city says.

Following the parades, clean-up bins will be provided for residents to dispose of their pumpkins. The pumpkins will then be taken to a year waste facility, where they will be processed and turned into compost. Some of the compost is used in city parks and gardens.

The city is advising residents planning to attend one of the post Halloween events to dress for the weather, and to either carry a flashlight or wear reflective gear.

A full list of participating locations, including times and districts, can be found on the city’s Pumpkin Parades webpage.