Professional Porch Decorator Reveals What Actually Happens to the Thousands of Pumpkins She Uses After Halloween (Exclusive)

**Northeast Arkansas Entrepreneur Cultivates Success with Seasonal Pumpkin Business**

At just 27 years of age, Evyn Cassidy has turned her passion for autumn into a flourishing business, The Pretty Porch, which showcased around 5,000 pumpkins and gourds during the 2026 season. Based in Northeast Arkansas, Cassidy’s venture was inspired by her need for a more flexible work-life balance after becoming a mother.

In 2024, as she navigated her new role as a parent, Cassidy made the pivotal decision to leave her teaching career. She was in search of a way to supplement her income while spending quality time at home with her daughter. It was during this transition that she discovered a podcast featuring Heather Torres, the founder of Dallas-based Porch Pumpkins. The concept of decorating porches with pumpkins resonated deeply with Cassidy, prompting her to launch her own similar business.

Cassidy’s fondness for autumn is rooted in childhood memories spent with her late mother, who instilled in her a love for the season and its festivities. “Some of my favourite memories are going to our local pumpkin patch,” Cassidy shared. After Halloween in her first year, she purchased unsold pumpkins from a nearby farmer and began experimenting with decorative arrangements on her porch, taking photographs to mark her progress and build her portfolio for The Pretty Porch’s opening in 2025.

While the initial season did not yield profits, Cassidy viewed the experience as an opportunity for growth. “I made mistakes, learned what worked and what didn’t, and adapted for the following year,” she explained. Rather than imitating larger businesses, she customised her offerings for clients in the Northeast Arkansas region, eventually reaching out to new markets, including Memphis.

By the 2026 season, The Pretty Porch had considerably expanded. Cassidy secured 5,000 locally sourced pumpkins and gourds from Arkansas farmers, melding her business with community support and her agricultural heritage. The business offers a range of packages priced between £125 and £1,000, designed to ensure a variety of customers can access the seasonal décor. Cassidy has maintained that affordability is key, with more economical options comprising about half of her sales. “I wanted everyday families to be able to have a little piece of the fall magic too,” she remarked.

For those seeking a more intricate display, Cassidy also designs custom installations. The most elaborate arrangement from the previous season involved approximately 200 pumpkins and carried a price tag of £1,600. Behind these stunning displays lies a considerable amount of planning. Cassidy carefully manages logistics, including stock levels, transport, crew schedules, and delivery routes. “Most of the behind-the-scenes work is like solving one giant logistics puzzle,” she described, detailing her daily calculations for inventory and capacity.

When installation week arrives, Cassidy coordinates a team to transport thousands of pumpkins to clients’ homes, where the decorating process itself is usually completed in a matter of minutes to hours, depending on the size of the display. “The decorating is probably the easiest part,” she acknowledged. “Getting the right pumpkins to the right porch at the right time is where the real work is.”

For homeowners curious about whether to hire professional decorators, Cassidy emphasises that the fee not only covers the produce but also involves the complexities of sourcing, transporting, cleaning, and crafting the designs. Additionally, The Pretty Porch provides a post-season clean-up service, ensuring all remnants are collected and repurposed. Instead of being discarded, the pumpkins are donated to a local pig farmer, giving them a second life and benefiting local agriculture. “My favourite part is that the pumpkins don’t just go into the trash,” Cassidy noted, highlighting her commitment to sustainability.

Looking to the future, Cassidy is already planning for the 2027 season, aiming to bolster The Pretty Porch’s presence in Memphis while expanding her reach across central and northwest Arkansas. Her entrepreneurial spirit extends beyond traditional porch displays, as she continues to explore new ideas for her growing business.

Cassidy’s journey serves as an encouragement to other aspiring entrepreneurs, urging them to embrace the process of growth and learning. “Don’t be afraid to build something from the ground up, and definitely don’t be afraid to fail and try again,” she advised, embodying the resilience that has propelled her success in the pumpkin industry.