2026 Carilion Pumpkin Decorating Contest Winners and Photos

The results are in! After a spirited competition filled with creativity, collaboration and plenty of seasonal fun, we're excited to announce the winners of the 2026 Carilion Pumpkin Decorating Contest! Teams from across our hospitals, ambulatory and non-hospital locations put their imaginations to work, transforming ordinary pumpkins into impressive creations.

AND "THE BEST IN THE PATCH" SYSTEM WINNER IS…

Congratulations to Carilion Giles Community Hospital's MOB team, whose entry, "Penelope the Puffer", was selected as this year's system-wide winner by our executive leaders.

The winning team will receive the traveling "Best in the Patch" trophy and bragging rights in recognition of its creativity and achievement.

Congratulations to our winners, finalists and every team that participated!

CELEBRATING OUR LOCAL WINNERS

Before the system-wide winner was selected, individual locations held their own competitions, recognizing their colleagues' creativity and selecting entries to advance to the final round.

Congratulations to the first-, second- and third-place winners from each participating location!

Ambulatory and Non-Hospital Locations

• 1st Place: Central Pharmacy Distribution
• 2nd Place: Roanoke Midwifery, "Pumpkins to Peacocks - Growing Miracles"
• 3rd Place: Carilion Clinic Cardiology, Roanoke, "Kandi the Blowfish"

Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital (CFMH)

• 1st Place: CFMH ED, “Stay-Puft Inflated Chief Complaint”
• 2nd Place: CFMH EVS, “Nightmare on Franklin Street”
• 3rd Place: CFMH Cardiology, “Tachy Tin”

Carilion Giles Community Hospital (CGCH)

• 1st Place: CGCH MOB
• 2nd Place: CGCH Med/Surg
• 3rd Place: CGCH Radiology

Carilion Medical Center (CMC)

• 1st Place: CRMH 4S PACU, “Pit Boo”
• 2nd Place: CRCH IPR, “Jimothy”
• 3rd Place: Infection Prevention and Control, “5 Moments of Hand Hygiene”

Carilion New River Valley Medical Center (CNRV)

• 1st Place: CNRV Resource Pool, “Squishin’ Through the Shifts”
• 2nd Place: CFM Radford, “Dolly”
• 3rd Place: CNRV St. Albans, “Clowning Around”

Carilion Rockbridge Community Hospital (CRBH)

• 1st Place: CRBH ICU, “Dolly Pumpkin”
• 2nd Place: CRBH Therapy Department, “Jack Squat”
• 3rd Place: CRBH Emergency Department, “Gizmo”

Carilion Tazewell Community Hospital (CTCH)

• 1st Place: CTCH EVS, “Stitch” 
• 2nd Place: CTCH Lab, “Rapunzel”
• 3rd Place: CTCH PAC and Police, “TowMater”

The creativity didn't stop with our winners! Every participating team brought something special to the competition, and we want to recognize the effort and imagination behind every pumpkin.

Browse the gallery to see all the entries and celebrate the creativity of your Carilion colleagues.

THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS COMPETITION A SUCCESS!

A special thank-you to everyone who decorated, coordinated, voted and cheered on their colleagues throughout the competition. Events like this are a reminder that taking time to connect, have fun and create something together can make our workdays a little brighter.

Congratulations again to our winners and thank you to everyone who helped make our inaugural Carilion Pumpkin Decorating Contest a memorable one!