You may want to rethink that fabulous Halloween party you were planning - or at least make sure the Facebook invitation states "BYOP" - that's Bring Your Own Pumpkin.
Your apple-bobbing contest will still go off without a hitch, though.
Yes, Gainesville is experiencing a pumpkin shortage, which is sending prices through the roof of a haunted mansion.
What does this mean for Gaines-Villains? Jack-o'-lanterns may be few and far between on porches when you go trick-or-treating. Money-wise, it'll cost you about an extra four cents per pound of pumpkin. For a 20-pound pumpkin, that means you'll be shelling out an extra dollar. Not a monstrous problem, we know, but the bigger issue is the quality of pumpkins.
Less-than-ideal weather conditions throughout the South have thinned pumpkin crops, and rain is causing the pumpkins to deteriorate like corpses in a creepy graveyard.
Rotten pumpkins aren't exactly the best for carving contests and roasted seeds, not to mention pumpkin pies. Your costumes should be gruesome, not the inside of your pumpkin.
So if you plan to purchase a plump pumpkin, prepare to spend a few more bucks and be patient. Ghoulish things come to those who wait.
