DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) — Now in her 32nd year of creating giant celebrity pumpkins, artist Jeanette Paras of Dublin, Ohio. decided to venture this Halloween to a galaxy far, far away.
On her pumpkin porch this year is “Baby YodaKin,” based on Baby Yoda, or The Child, from the Star Wars show The Mandalorian.
Paras steered away from spotlighting political figures during an election year. She said that Baby Yoda, like the wise Jedi master Yoda, represents tranquility in a world roiled by a pandemic and seemingly endless bad news.
“I want people to look at Baby YodaKin, smile, appreciate his cuteness and enjoy a moment away from everything going on in the world today,” Paras said in a news release. ”To me, Baby YodaKin represents the mental-health break we need.”
Paras said she also considered “pumpkinizing” the coronavirus, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Anthony Fauci, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and others.
The Baby Yoda pumpkin weighs 451 pounds and was grown by Scott Kulpa of Galena, Ohio. It measures 40 inches in diameter and includes two 39-inch ears, making the display almost 10 feet wide.
Paras said she attempts to capture the cultural zeitgeist through her giant celebrity pumpkin creations — more than 90 in all — that have included presidents, politicians, entertainers and athletes.
“When I crack up because of one of my giant celebrity pumpkins, that’s when I know I’ve picked the right subject,” she said. “It’s so much fun to do this every year. I love the reactions I get from my neighbors and people who stop by our house.”
A gallery of Para’s creations can be found at paraspumpkins.com.