Pumpkins are a defining symbol of fall across the United States. They show up on doorsteps, in recipes, and at seasonal festivals, evoking tradition, family, and comfort. At the center of it all is Illinois, which produces more pumpkins than any other state by far. In this episode, Capri Cafaro travels through both city streets and farmland to explore how pumpkins shape American culture through food, agriculture, and community. From record-setting festivals and Indigenous recipes to family-run farms and innovative restaurants, Capri meets the people keeping this versatile fall fruit at the heart of how we gather and celebrate.

The Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival

Capri begins her journey at the Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival just north of Chicago, where the community comes together each October in a spectacular celebration. Started in 2009 by alderman Eric Falberg and his family, the festival began with 1,000 lit pumpkins and a dream to set a world record. Each year since, it has grown in scope and spirit, drawing crowds who contribute thousands of carved pumpkins to towering displays across the town.

Capri walks the festival grounds with culinary historian Catherine Lambrecht, who explains how Illinois became the nation’s epicenter of canned pumpkin production. 

Capri and Eric discuss the origins of the festival and its friendly rivalry with Keene, New Hampshire, for the world record in most pumpkins lit at once. Capri helps core and carve a pumpkin and joins the lighting ceremony as tens of thousands of glowing gourds create a warm fall feeling that brings the whole community together.

As they taste festival treats like pumpkin pie, ho-hos, and a pumpkin martini, Catherine shares the story of the Dickinson Squash, which was brought to Illinois in the 1830s.

The Story of the Dickinson Pumpkin

Most Americans who enjoy a slice of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving are likely eating a squash, and almost certainly one called Dickinson. This heirloom variety of Cucurbita moschata has become the backbone of America’s canned pumpkin industry, and its story begins with a journey across the Midwest.

In 1835, Elijah Dickinson moved from Kentucky to Illinois, bringing with him a prized stash of seeds. Those seeds, likely descended from the Kentucky Field or Large Cheese pumpkins, evolved into what we now know as the Dickinson pumpkin. Over time, the variety was refined into a blocky, tan squash with smooth orange flesh, known for its rich flavor and suitability for canning.

In the late 19th century, Dickinson descendants opened a canning plant in Eureka, Illinois, one of the first to process squash. By the 1920s, Libby’s had purchased the family operation and built a major processing plant in Morton, Illinois. That facility now produces 85% of the country’s canned pumpkin, and nearly all of it comes from Dickinson squash.

Though not technically a pumpkin by botanical standards, Dickinson is the gold standard for pie filling. Its flavor, texture, and ability to thrive in Illinois’s warm, moist summers made it ideal for mass production. Over the decades, Libby’s has developed several hybrids based on Dickinson to ensure a consistent harvest for millions of pies each year.

From a family farm to a $100 million crop, Dickinson squash is a true heirloom success story, one rooted in American history, cultivated through community, and celebrated every fall at tables across the country.

Pumpkin Farming in Morton

Capri heads south to Morton, the heart of pumpkin country, to meet farmer John Ackerman. His family has farmed the land for four generations, and John began growing Dickinson Squash for Libby’s in the 1980s. Today, his focus is on cultivating more than 160 varieties of heirloom pumpkins and squash for both culinary use and decorative sale, with a fun focus on producing “weird” varieties. 

Walking the fields with Capri, John shares how the farm shifted from livestock to pumpkin production and how the demand for diversity in shape, color, and texture inspired him to source seeds from around the world. He explains the harvest process for the Dickinson Squash, which involves special equipment to gather the squash efficiently, and contrasts it with the more careful hand-harvest of heirloom varieties meant for display.

Capri joins John in harvesting a few pumpkins and learns what makes each one special. With vivid colors and unique shapes, these pumpkins are both beautiful and functional. Their cultivation supports agro-tourism and helps keep local food traditions alive in central Illinois.

A beloved culinary personality in Morton, Illinois, Jane shares a seasonal favorite that captures the essence of fall: creamy roasted pumpkin soup, served in a pumpkin bowl and garnished with layers of flavor.

Recipe: Jane’s Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 cooking pumpkin (such as Winter Luxury), cut into wedges
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Roasted paprika
• Nutmeg
• Cinnamon
• Cayenne pepper
• 1 head garlic
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1–2 shallots, chopped
• Fresh herbs (such as thyme or sage)
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• ½ cup cream
• Juice of 1 lime

Garnishes: roasted pumpkin chunks, bacon bits, crème fraîche, maple whiskey syrup

Instructions:

1. Prep and Roast: Cut the pumpkin into wedges and remove the seeds. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, skin-side down. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne. Roast with a head of garlic at 400°F until soft.
2. Saute Aromatics: In a pot, melt butter and sauté shallots with herbs. Scoop roasted pumpkin flesh and garlic into the pot.
3. Simmer and Blend: Add vegetable broth and bring to a low simmer. Blend the mixture in batches until smooth. Strain for a silky texture, then return to the pot and stir in cream.
4. Finish: Heat gently without boiling. Add lime juice to balance the flavors.
5. Serve: Pour into bowls or hollowed-out mini pumpkins. Garnish with your favorite toppings: crispy bacon, roasted pumpkin pieces, crème fraîche, and a drizzle of maple whiskey syrup.

Pumpkin Mole Verde

Capri finishes her journey at Istmo, a newly opened restaurant in Chicago founded by Carlos Lopez, who grew up in the Istmo region of Oaxaca, Mexico. There, she explores another essential use of pumpkin in fall cooking: the toasted seeds used to make mole.

Carlos shares memories of learning to make mole from his grandmothers. After years of trial and error, he developed his signature mole negro, a recipe that blends spices, chiles, nuts, and toasted pumpkin seeds into a deep, rich sauce. Capri samples the mole with molotes, a plantain-based appetizer filled with black beans.

They also prepare pescado envuelto, a traditional dish where fish is wrapped in banana leaves, steamed, and served with mole verde—a vibrant sauce made with tomatillos, herbs, and pumpkin seeds. Capri and Carlos discuss how serving this food honors his roots and helps introduce Chicago diners to authentic flavors from Oaxaca.

Recipe: Mole Negro with Pumpkin Seeds

Inspired by Chef Carlos Lopez 

This mole combines two family recipes—one sweet, one spicy—with the earthy backbone of pumpkin seeds. Like life, it’s full of complexity, warmth, and surprises in every bite.

Ingredients

Charred vegetables:

• 5 tomatillos, husked and halved
• 3 Roma tomatoes, quartered
• 1 white onion, halved
• 1 ripe plantain, peeled and halved
• 5 garlic cloves

Chiles (stems and seeds removed):

• 5 guajillo
• 4 ancho
• 3 pasilla
• 2 morita
• 2 cascabel
• 1 chipotle

Nuts and seeds:

• 1/4 cup raw almonds
• 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• Thickeners and sweet base:
• 2 corn tortillas
• 2 slices bolillo or white bread
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup pitted prunes

Spices:

• 1 stick Ceylon cinnamon
• 3 cloves
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon anise seed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Herbs (optional but traditional):
• 1 hoja santa leaf
• 1 dried avocado leaf

Final flavor elements:

• 3.5 ounces Mexican chocolate (Ibarra or Moctezuma)
• Kosher salt and sugar, to taste
• 6–8 cups chicken stock or broth, divided

For cooking:

• 1/2 cup lard or neutral oil

Instructions

1. Char the vegetables. Place tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic, onion, and plantain on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil until deeply charred, about 6–8 minutes. Blend with 1 cup of chicken stock until smooth. Transfer to a large pot. 
2. Toast and blend the chiles. Broil or pan-toast the dried chiles briefly until fragrant and slightly darkened. Soak them in hot water for 10 minutes, then blend with a bit of stock until smooth. Add to the pot.
3. Toast seeds and nuts. In a skillet, heat lard over medium-high. Add almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds. Stir constantly until golden and aromatic. Remove and blend with 1 cup stock until smooth.
4. Fry thickeners and dried fruit. In the same pan, fry tortillas and bread until crisp. Add raisins and prunes and sauté until softened. Blend all with 1 cup of stock until smooth. Add to pot.
5. Toast the spices. Lightly fry cinnamon, cloves, cumin, peppercorns, anise, oregano, and thyme in a little oil. Blend with 1 cup stock. Add to the pot.
6. Simmer everything together. Combine all blended components in the pot. Add remaining stock, hoja santa, and avocado leaf if using. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 30–45 minutes, stirring often to avoid sticking.
7. Add chocolate and finish. Remove any whole leaves. Stir in chocolate until melted. Taste and adjust with salt and sugar. If too thick, thin with stock. If gritty, use an immersion blender for a final pass.

Pumpkins are more than decoration. They connect Illinois communities across city blocks and farm rows, through memories, meals, and celebrations. Whether lighting a carved jack-o’-lantern, tasting tamales infused with squash, or exploring the roots of mole, Capri discovers that pumpkins carry with them a sense of place, history, and pride. Across urban kitchens and rural fields, Illinoisans continue to find meaning in this beloved fall tradition, one dish and one harvest at a time.