The Great Hart's Pumpkin Carving Competition

The Great Hart's Pumpkin Carving Competition is at Hart's Hotel and Kitchen on Sunday 18 October, from 17:00 to 19:00, with doors opening at 16:45. It's part of the hotel's autumn offering, and the format is straightforward: you carve your pumpkin at home and bring the finished thing along to be judged on the night. They're looking for around a dozen participants, so it's a small, focused field rather than a huge crowd.

Guest judge Ann Priest, an expert in fashion, design and creativity, will be the one calling it. There are two prizes on the table, one for the winning adult pumpkin and one for the winning child. The adult prize is a meal for two at Hart's Kitchen, and the children's prize is four tickets to Nottingham Playhouse's production of Aladdin.

While the judging happens, there's homemade pumpkin soup and spiced mulled wine — with a non-alcoholic option — served outdoors by firelight. It's a cosy, atmospheric way to spend a Sunday evening in the city, and the prizes tie the night back into the local scene: a meal at the hotel's own kitchen for the adult winner and a trip to the Playhouse for the children's prize.

Entry is free, but you have to book in advance if you want to enter. The competition runs from 17:00 to 19:00 at Hart's Hotel and Kitchen, Park Row, Nottingham NG1 6GN, with doors open from 16:45.