Sunday was quite a day for Eric Jones, the Food Network pumpkin carving champion who is well-known for his snow, sand and ice sculptures and caricatures.
He started on the “Billivard” at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, carving a pumpkin. Representatives from the Buffalo Bills decided on a James Cook pumpkin. As Jones carved, fans at the stadium took photos with Jones and the pumpkin.
The subject was a good one: Cook scored on an 11-yard touchdown to erase a 10-0 Bills deficit as the team went on to defeat the Tennessee Titans, 34-10.
The media walking about the Bills Mafia tailgates made their way back to the stadium and stopped to get photos and videos of Eric Jones at work. The CBS camera crew shot him.
During the fourth quarter, Jones was on national television carving. Something he’s done quite a bit for every major network. As the game started, the pumpkin had to go somewhere. It weighed over 60 pounds and damage might take place if a fan leaving the stadium “accidentally” knocked it over.
Jones gifted his pumpkin to the community garden space on Main Street in Wellsville. Shane Vogel then brought a table out from Stillwater’s outdoor patio and Pizza King employees are going to bring it inside for safe-keeping each night and bring it back out each morning for the community to enjoy.
As for Jones? Sunday was the Bills carving, a class at Pumpkinville, a carving at a private party and finally, he sat down to watch another episode on the Food Network of Halloween Wars Season 14, an all-star cast of past champions battling. Jones was winning week after week on Sunday night’s. He was a Season 3 champion of Outrageous Pumpkins.
Photo gallery of Sunday’s carving at the Bills stadium, with more incredible photos after:
This next photo gallery is what Eric has done the last three weeks. He has appeared at several school’s, did pumpkins for the Pink Pumpkin Project, The Walk to End Alzheimer’s and more.
He had Cuba-Rushford students helping with sand at Canalside as well:
Jones has done a lot of sand and snow sculptures in Allegany County, and this year, has expanded more into Pennsylvania, Buffalo and Rochester since carving the Guiness Book of World Record pumpkin last fall. He’s also doing graduation sand sculptures and several holiday parties for small and large businesses.
