Did you know I co-host a podcast with Mike from All Hallows Geek? By Pumpkin's Light is our little side project where we get to know fellow creatives in the online Halloween community.
We’re more than two years into this adventure and have interviewed 50+ creatives…with a handful of just-for-fun episodes thrown in for our listeners as well.
Our goal in producing an interview-style podcast is this: to introduce you to new content creators, small business owners, industry professionals, and other creatives who are dedicated to creating Halloween magic all year long.
At 60+ episodes, there is a TON in the archive to enjoy. Jump around to the names you know. Check out the ones you don’t know who sound interesting.
Every conversation has been so much fun, and it was extra rewarding hearing from so many of you at Midsummer Scream this year how much you’re loving joining us in the lair.
Starting this fall, I’m going to do quarterly recaps of everyone we’ve chatted with in the past season…so up today is everyone we had on this summer!
(Hell yeah to a full summer of killer women I love!)
Summer 2025 Guests on By Pumpkin’s Light
Episode 56: Melissa España
Need just a splash of spooky in your everyday? Then you’ll love meeting Melissa España! Since 2020, her website has been a resource for all things fall and Halloween. In this episode, she shares why she started it during the pandemic, the fun Halloween tradition she created for her son, and why Chicago might be the spookiest city of all.
Episode 57: Laura Lee
Artist and decor collector Laura Lee joins us in the lair to talk about her childhood Halloweens in New England, how she approaches her all-out decorating ideas each year, and why she decided to expand her artwork to Halloween motifs.
Episode 58: Mandy’s Morgue of Horror
If you’ve loved horror movies since childhood, you’ll love this guest. Meet Mandy from Mandy’s Morgue of Horror! She joins us to discuss how her love of Halloween has evolved from childhood to adulthood, how her dad instilled a love of horror in her from a young age, and the horror movies she’s most excited to see this year.
Episode 59: Doug Welker
Dive into the world of Halloween village collections with Doug Welker from SpookyVillages.com. In this conversation, Doug shares how 90s Halloween cartoons fueled his early love of the holiday, how he got into collection Lemax and Department 56 pieces, and his best tips for newbies just starting their collections.
Episode 60: Jorene Lomenzo
Ready to get into collecting Halloween artwork? We welcome Jorene Lomenzo from Shivers of Delight into the lair. As a longtime art collector and Halloween enthusiast, Jorene shares her favorite holiday memories, offers her tips for collecting, and announces an exciting new project she’s launching this summer.
Episode 61: Midsummer Scream Tips & Tricks
Another Midsummer Scream is here, and we’ve gathered our spooky crew — Chelsea Celaya (Cheers With Chelsea/Sips & Spirits), Andrew Noles & Devin Przygoda (Your Best Halloween Ever), and James Bryan (That Halloween Bro) — to share their best tips and tricks for the world’s largest Halloween convention. Hear why our guests started attending, what their hidden gem is, and what they’re looking forward to most for 2025.
Episode 62: Lori CAstellon
Ghoul at Heart’s Lori Castellon drops by the lair to chat about her new book, “Scare-cuterie,” out now! She also shares how her childhood love of Halloween inspired her to transform an everyday cooking blog into a spooky one, how she celebrates Halloween, and her all-time favorite recipes she’s ever shared.
Who should we have on next?
Drop your suggestions in the comments, and we’ll do our best to get them into our line-up.
You can also sign up for our monthly newsletter for recaps of recent episodes and insights into what our past guests are up to now!
Coming up this fall:
Two more roundtable discussions, one on horror movies and the other on Halloween music
A lover of spooky lakes (I am SO excited for you guys to hear this one!)
An author who has created an amazing world of Halloween characters
A hauntingly funny podcaster
And so much more!
