LOS ANGELES (Oct. 29, 2025) – Halloween officially received a frightfully fun glow-up in Hollywood, courtesy of Raising Cane’s owner and founder Todd Graves and his giant 2,518-pound jack-o’-lantern inspired by all things Hollywood and Halloween. Carved by Food Network star and Guinness World Record holder Eric Jones and his team of expert carvers, the pumpkin is the second largest/heaviest in the country – weighing as much as 20,000 Chicken Fingers – and is on display for all to see outside of the TCL Chinese Theatre along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. During an unveiling event that was more treat than trick, Graves, Jones and Grower of the Year Emmett Andrusz debuted the pumpkin and announced it would remain on display through Sunday, November 2. Set among some of Hollywood’s most iconic landmarks, the massive 2,518-pound jack-o’-lantern took center stage near the Hollywood Walk of Fame as fans, locals, tourists, and special guests including Landon Barker, Jesse Palmer, Karrueche, Malika and Khadijah Haqq, Cory Wharton, Dayna Marie, and more gathered to sneak a peek at the masterpiece.
“I’ve always loved Halloweens and jack-o’-lanterns and dreamed of having the biggest pumpkin in the world and last year we got it. This year, we have the first and second largest pumpkins in the country and I wanted to share them with as many people as possible, which is why we have one here on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and one in the heart of Times Square at Military Island. I wanted to display the pumpkins where people would be able to see and enjoy them and more than 100,000 people walk along the Hollywood Walk of Fame each day. I couldn’t think of a better place to share this pumpkin with the world,” said Graves. “It was amazing having Eric and Emmett join me today to debut this unbelievable pumpkin. I really respect them and all the work they put into growing and bringing these masterpieces to life. Halloween is a fun time and pumpkins are so inspiring. I want kids to walk by this pumpkin and know that they can be a grower or a carver – or anything they want to be – and have the opportunity to bring joy to so many people through their passions.”
The pumpkin, carved by Jones and his team of expert carvers including Monique Hawk and William Wilson, took more than 30 hours to carve and used 10 different materials to bring the creation to life including gourds, squash, beets, and more. Jones and team used more than 100 different carving tools throughout the 30 hours and the result was a stunning masterpiece that brought dazzle and design to one of the busiest areas in Hollywood.
“It’s such a privilege working with Cane’s again for the second year. Todd picked great locations to display both of the pumpkins – one here at the Hollywood Walk of Fame and one at Military Island in Times Square – and I’ve loved seeing people’s reactions throughout the carving and display process,” said Jones. “It’s unbelievable to be here right now with Todd and Emmett finally unveiling our hard work. Seeing people take pictures with the pumpkin and ask questions about it is so rewarding. This is what it’s all about, sharing with the Community and spreading joy.”
Andrusz and his father, Scott, worked tirelessly over the course of 110 days to grow the giant gourd to its scale-tipping 2,518 pounds. Often growing more than 60 and 70 pounds a day, Andrusz said the growing process requires constant love, care and attention to ensure every detail is just right. Although the pumpkin growing process is over, one important job still remains, which is securing the seeds for next season. After Halloween ends, Andrusz will carefully carve into the pumpkin’s core through 12-inch pumpkin walls to retrieve the precious seeds – knowing there could be anywhere from one to 1,000 – in hopes of planting it into the soil and growing a 3,000+ world record pound pumpkin next year.
“It’s unbelievable to be here right now enjoying the pumpkin and seeing all the joy it’s bringing to people. Seeing everything come to life is very rewarding and I love that we have the opportunity to share our pumpkin with so many people,” said Andrusz. “I grew up around pumpkins with my dad and never imagined we’d be here today with Raising Cane’s and Todd. Next year, we’re going for a 3,000+ pound pumpkin – we want a Guinness World Record!”
Throughout the event, celebrities and influencers enjoyed Chicken Fingers and Cane’s Sauce, snapped pictures in front of the pumpkin, and mingled with one another as the spooky holiday draws near. Come Halloween night, fright will take flight as the jack-o’-lantern is displayed at Michael Braun and Vas Morgan’s star-studded Halloween party co-hosted by Graves. Sponsored by Raising Cane’s, the food truck will also be on-site to serve up Chicken Fingers and Cane’s Sauce to hungry party-goers as some of Hollywood’s biggest stars celebrate the night in costumes that are sure to dazzle and delight even the spookiest of creatures. The larger-than-life gourd is just the beginning of treats to come for LA, with Raising Cane’s opening at Hollywood & Sunset next week on November 4 and opening at Hollywood & Highland in early 2026.
LA isn’t the only hot spot for giant pumpkins this spooky szn! Those celebrating the holiday in NYC will have a chance to see America’s largest pumpkin on display at Military Island located just across from Raising Cane’s Global Flagship in Times Square. Weighing in at 2,741 pounds, this pumpkin also happens to be a New York state record and was carved by Jones and team to reflect the dazzling skyline of the city and spooktacular Cane’s elements. If your Halloween plans don’t include a stop on the east or west coast, fear not! Graves is also displaying another pumpkin at the Halloween Capital of Texas in downtown Denton, located 45 minutes north of Dallas.
Graves, a longtime lover of all things Halloween, is known for buying and carving giant pumpkins each year. Last year, Graves displayed the world’s biggest pumpkin at Nights of the Jack in Calabasas and this year, decided to take the spooky celebration coast to coast. To share in the festivities, Graves wanted the giant gourds to be displayed for all to enjoy in some of the most iconic and popular areas across the country. Goblins, ghouls, and ghosts will delight in snapping a picture in front of the creative carvings, inspired by Graves’ love of Halloween.
The Hollywood jack-o’-lantern debut marks the latest in a series of creative Halloween activations from Raising Cane’s, a Brand known for infusing its signature personality and hospitality into everything it does. Each year, Graves and the Cane’s Crew lean into the season with festive decorations, ghostly surprises, and, of course, the iconic Chicken Fingers fans can’t get enough of.
Graves first enlisted carvers Jones, Hawk and Wilson to work with him on Raising Cane’s initial giant jack-o’-lantern carving last year. Together, the team surprised Calabasas with largest 360-degree pumpkin of the 2024 season at the Nights of the Jack event in Calabasas, CA. Surrounded by celebrity guests and fueled by plenty of hand-battered, cooked-to-order Chicken Fingers from the Raising Cane’s food truck, Graves was inspired to share his lifelong love of Halloween with all.
Halloween traditions run deep at Raising Cane’s, dating back to the early days when Graves began gifting Crew “ghost pops” — Tootsie Pops wrapped in tissue with hand-drawn faces — as a small token of appreciation 28 Halloweens ago. Today, that gesture has grown to include more than 65,000 Crew members worldwide, proving that the Halloween spirit at Raising Cane’s is as strong as ever. The festivities have grown over the years and now include spooky in-Restaurant decor as well as local and celebrity events across the country for both Customers and Crew to enjoy. Halloween 2025 marked major firsts for Raising Cane’s including the first-ever Halloween glow-in-the-dark specialty cup that is available for $1.39 with the purchase of any combo or with a 32 oz drink and features a Halloween-forward design of bats, ghosts and a festive rendition of Cane III. The Restaurant Brand also debuted its first digital VR experience, giving Customers the opportunity to unlock the chance to discover surprise treats.
About Raising Cane’s®:
Raising Cane’s is one of the fastest-growing Restaurant Brands, with 950+ Restaurants in 42+ states, and plans to open more than 100 new Restaurants across several new markets in 2025. The company recently announced plans to be one of the top 10 Restaurant Brands in the United States and is known for its ONE LOVE® – Craveable Chicken Finger Meals® – which includes the iconic “Cane’s Sauce®” – named the #1 most craveable sauce in the Restaurant industry and most craveable chicken. For more information, visit raisingcanes.com.
