Halloween will mark the 10th Anniversary of Boulder's Naked Pumpkin Run.
The Naked Pumpkin Run’s origins date back to 1999, when — according to the event’s Web site — two men, having worked their way through an undisclosed number of six packs, came up with the idea of running nude with “20 pounds of orange flesh thrashing atop their heads.”
Since then, the event has grown — 150 people participated last year — and spread to locales such as Seattle, Phoenix and Bloomington, Ind., according to the run’s Web site.
According to the Boulder Daily Camera:
"The Boulder installment begins Halloween night at one of the organizer’s homes, said Winston Voigt, a recent University of Colorado graduate who participated in last year’s run for the first time and intends to do so again this year. That person hosts a pre-run festivity, where participants enjoy music, home-brewed beer and socializing as they design and carve their pumpkin headgear.
Then, at a designated time — Boulder police say they’re not sure when it will start — everyone is given a trash bag and told to file out to meet at a separate location near where the run begins on Pearl Street.
“Then there’s a count, and everybody strips down, puts their clothes in the bag, and runs down Pearl street,” Winston said.
Because of the difficulty in holding a pumpkin over one’s head with one hand while grasping a trash bag full of clothes in the other, Winston described the event more as a “leisurely jog rather than a run.”
The masked organizers’ Web site calls for “scores of strapping young lads and lasses (to) take to the streets in a fine blend of artistry, harmless debauchery and, most importantly, nudity!”