{"id":174871,"date":"2026-10-30T16:25:32","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T20:25:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/headlineplanet.com\/home\/?p=174871"},"modified":"2026-10-30T16:26:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T20:26:23","slug":"raising-canes-sets-new-bar-for-halloween-celebration-showcasing-record-breaking-jack-o-lantern-in-salem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/headlineplanet.com\/home\/2026\/10\/30\/raising-canes-sets-new-bar-for-halloween-celebration-showcasing-record-breaking-jack-o-lantern-in-salem\/","title":{"rendered":"Raising Cane’s Sets New Bar For Halloween Celebration, Showcasing Record-Breaking Jack-o’-Lantern In Salem"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether in the form of launch celebrations, celebrity activations, or community service initiatives, Raising Cane\u2019s Chicken Fingers sets the standard for unforgettable events.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, it continues to find ways to raise that bar. That was the case Tuesday morning, when it brought media, entertainment personalities, and community members together for a record-breaking moment in Salem, Massachusetts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Present in what founder and owner Todd Graves rather accurately calls the \u201cHalloween capital of the world,\u201d his company showcased the world\u2019s heaviest jack-o\u2019-lantern.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Eric Jones, William Wilson, Monique Hawkins, Todd Graves, Michael Empric, Ron Wallace, Dominick Pangallo (courtesy of Raising Cane’s)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The label is not hyperbole: an adjudicator from Guinness World Records was on-hand to certify the honor for the 3,156-pound pumpkin.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not simply massive in stature, the pumpkin delivered a spellbinding aesthetic. With renowned carvers Eric Jones, Monique Hawk, and William Wilson leading the charge, the stunning jack-o\u2019-lantern was rich with references to Cane\u2019s and the Halloween holiday.<\/span><\/p>\n

While reflecting on the detailed, artistic carving process, Jones and the team were nonetheless quick to credit pumpkin grower Ron Wallace for providing them access to such a special canvass.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We\u2019ve been all over doing giant pumpkins with Cane’s for a couple of years now,\u201d said Jones during a press conference. \u201cThis is the best pumpkin I think we’ve ever carved in terms of the material. [For] the design process, we started working with Cane’s a couple of weeks before the carve, and we go through this just kind of creative process, shooting ideas back and forth, and it goes through a team there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Courtesy of Raising Cane’s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe definitely harnessed the energy, the full moon [while carved], if you will,\u201d added Hawk. \u201cBut this was such a fun project. We wanted to incorporate all the classic Halloween, witch, and then the Cane’s elements.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re in Salem, so you have got to incorporate witches,\u201d detailed Jones. \u201cAnd of course we can’t not carve bats and hanging bats and bat caves. That’s kind of become our staple. A lot of composition issues dealing with a pumpkin this large, you know, getting all the sides, having transitions from one side to the next. It’s a\u2014it’s a whole process, but [Canes has] been wonderful to work with, and the turnip idea is all Todd.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The referenced \u201cturnip idea\u201d was Graves\u2019 effort to pay homage to the original jack-o\u2019-lantern from Irish folklore. That story credits the concept to a man named \u201cStingy Jack,\u201d who was blocked from entering Heaven or Hell and condemned to roam the Earth eternally. To light his way, he placed a burning goal into a hollowed-out turnip.<\/span><\/p>\n

That commitment to authenticity is a hallmark for Graves and his company, which remains true to itself no matter how big and elaborate these activities get.<\/span><\/p>\n

The commitment to bringing joy and happiness, even when times are tough, is another staple of Cane\u2019s culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe all work hard and we all have things, pressures in life and things we have to do that aren\u2019t fun,\u201d noted Graves. \u201cBut taking advantage of the times that are over the top, like Halloween and all the other holidays, to me, just makes life more fun.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joy, of course, does not have to be an expendable, throwaway concept. It can also be a source of legitimate inspiration. It can be a moment \u2013 or series of moments \u2013 that reminds people of what they can accomplish in their own lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We wanted to go where a million people come see it here in Salem and then show it over social media and do that,\u201d added Graves. \u201cAnd it’s about the fun of it all. It’s all the spirit of Halloween. But it’s [also] about just the dream \u2026 that you can dream and do anything you want. Look, I had a dream for chicken fingers, right? And if I didn’t dream I could actually do chicken fingers all over the world, then I never would have done it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wallace echoed that philosophy, detailing the hope that visibility around his record-breaking pumpkin would motivate future farmers and gardeners.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy biggest goal with the pumpkin was making sure it could be seen by lots and lots of families and children and try to inspire the next generation of gardeners to get out in the garden,\u201d declared Wallace.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Salem community made clear its appreciation for the endeavor. Numerous residents visited the site \u2013 during the carving process and during the official unveiling \u2013 to express their admiration for what Jones, Hawk, and Wilson were doing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mayor Dominick Pangallo played a role in the World Record ceremony, thanking the team for its work and commemorating October 26 as Great Pumpkin Day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI commend Raising Cane’s, Todd Graves, Ron Wallace, and all the team that were involved in this special event and extend the city’s appreciation to all whose work celebrates creativity and community during Salem’s 400th anniversary year,\u201d said Pangallo.<\/span><\/p>\n

That combined significance \u2013 working on a record-breaking pumpkin, while in such a special, Halloween-centric place \u2013 created a dream experience for the carving team.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think I can speak on behalf of the team,\u201d shared Hawk. \u201cThis is a dream come true. So thank you, Todd. Thank you, Cane’s. This is absolutely surreal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI guess you could say that since I’ve been carving pumpkins, I always wanted to be attached to one of these giant, beautiful pieces of work of art,\u201d added Wilson. \u201cAnd now that I have, [I have] nothing but gratitude today for Cane’s, for Ron Wallace, and for all my teammates. So thank you so much for having me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Daniel Kountz, Kimberly J Brown, and Todd Graves (Courtesy of Raising Cane’s)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For Graves, it was both a moment of celebration (the official Guinness World Records certificate will go in his office) <\/span>and <\/span><\/i>a reminder to keep setting the bar higher.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We\u2019re not abandoning the dream to keep going bigger and better and more amazing,\u201d shared Graves. \u201cMaybe someday we get a 4,000-pound pumpkin, maybe we get a 5,000-pound pumpkin. Just keep getting bigger and better and greater.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While the record-breaking Salem display represented the restaurant brand\u2019s <\/span>largest<\/span><\/i> Halloween activation, it was far from its only one. Raising Cane\u2019s also showcased a 2613-pound pumpkin in Los Angeles, themed displays at its Texas and Louisiana offices, and collectible cups in its restaurants.<\/span><\/p>\n

And when Halloween takes place this weekend, excitement will soon turn to the brand\u2019s annual Christmas holiday season celebration.<\/span><\/p>\n



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