Giant Inflatable Pumpkin Breaks Free From North Carolina Farm and Rolls Toward Cars
There are a few things that people associate with fall, like the smell of apples, falling leaves, and dropping temperatures. One town in North Carolina may need to add a new item to that list after a massive inflatable jack-o’-lantern was filmed rolling down a street.
The escaped inflatable came from Phillips Farm, according to ABC News, which caught up with the farmers after the video footage of the inflatable went viral. The clip was shared by several social media accounts, including the popular TikTok account @fjerry.
In the video, a car stops in the middle of the road as a bright orange ball appears to roll toward it in the distance. Two people in the vehicle can be heard discussing the object as it becomes clear that it’s a massive jack-o’-lantern. “It’s going to hit us,” the man exclaims as he throws the car in reverse to try and escape.
According to ABC News, the two-story-high inflatable was caught up in some wind thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Isaias, which blew through town on Oct. 11. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like the runaway pumpkin caused any injuries as it rolled through town.
The Pumpkin Was Blown Away During Some Fast-Moving Wind Gusts
@fjerryShoutout to the guy who stopped it♬ original sound – FJerry
Phillips Farms owner Michael Phillips told ABC News that the winds kicked up out of nowhere. There had been a tornado warning earlier in the day, so the farmhands had waited to blow up the inflatables. But as soon as the weather turned and it started to look like everything had blown over, they began blowing them up, starting with the pumpkin.
“All of a sudden, we started getting like 35-, 40-mile-an-hour wind gusts out of nowhere,” Phillips recalled. “And then, ‘Bam.’ It just started going.”
The Pumpkin Has Been Secured
Phillips says he has since secured his inflatables to the tractors, making it so that the pumpkin is unlikely to take flight again. However, those who don’t have heavy-duty farm equipment around can try some other options, like those shared on the Christmas Central blog.
Some tips include placing your inflatables near natural windbreaks (where they are shielded from the wind) and on flat ground. Additionally, the website suggests securing the inflatables at multiple points using tethers and stakes.
Inflatables can be expensive, and the last thing you want to see is your hard-earned money blowing down the street every time there’s a strong wind gust.
