Lizards, flamingoes, pigs and lattes?

Excitement and creativity abounded as Carden Country School students in grades K-8 submitted entries for the 28th annual Carden Country School Pumpkin Parade last Friday.

In this non-mandatory activity, students were to transform a pumpkin into something other than a Jack-o’-lantern, with judges and other students voting to decide the winner of an array of awards, both by grade and overall.

This year’s guest judges included Bainbridge Island Police Officer Carla Sias, retired Bainbridge Island Fire Department Assistant Chief Luke Carpenter, BIPD Deputy Chief Jeff Horn, Officer Ryan Norton, Teresa Bentley and Review reporter/photographer Luciano Marano.

The judges had great difficulty in choosing the winning entries, as they said all revealed surprising talent and creativity.

After the votes had been tabulated, third-grade student Sage Ehrich came away with the “Overall Best in Show” as well as the “People’s Choice” award for “Yoshi, Winner of the Race.”

Other overall awards included Madison Gambee, second grade, for “Best in Show Lower School” (Junior Primary through fourth grade), and Joel Morris, eighth grade, “Best in Show Upper School” (grades 5-8).

The other awardees were: Most Creative, Liv Hensley, eighth grade, for “Camping Trailer”; Most Artistic, Talia Matriotti, eighth grade, for “Gum Ball Machine”; Most Original, Ruth Ard, eighth grade, for “Pumpkin Spice Lattes”; Gourd Award “Most Transformed,” Jett Peters, sixth grade, for “Horned Lizard”; the JP Class Award, Alexander Saint Cyr, Junior Primary, for “Owl”; Grades 1 & 2 Class Award, Virginia Thompson, second grade, for “Flamingo”; Grades 3 & 4 Class Award, Addie Raben, third grade, for “Jelly Fish”; Grades 5 & 6 Class Award, RJ Rossart, sixth grade, for “Splash Gourdan”; and Grades 7 & 8 Class Award, Libby Pickle, eighth grade, for “Winnie and Friends.