Last Saturday the Bloomington Creative Glass Center hosted its 13th annual “Great Glass Pumpkin Patch.” Since last November 47 volunteers have been glass-blowing 1373 pumpkins about eight times a month.  

Executive director Abby Gilitz says that her favorite part is “the making.” 

“It is also spectacular on a beautiful fall day when you have all these people out and they get to pick their favorite pumpkin,” Glitz said. “We had people start lining up at 7 a.m. this morning and we open the doors at 10.” 

Bloomington creative glass center is an all-access glass-blowing studio with an apprentice program where people can learn how to blow glass for free in exchange for helping them make the pumpkins. 

The studio has glass-blowing classes but also offers glass fusing, stain glass, glass casting, painting on glass, sandblasting, kids’ birthday parties, and sorority events. They are just a mile south of campus, it is free to enter and checkout and they have a gallery as well.