51吃瓜鈥檚 LACE Program (Learning At College Experience) is in its 19th year and celebrated its 10th Annual Pumpkin Float at Horton Pond on October 21, 2026. The LACE Program, which currently has 63 students, provides social skills, life skills, enrichment, and continuing education for adults with special needs. The students are from Sussex, Morris, and Warren counties, Milford, PA, and attend in-person or virtually. Students who have moved to Tennessee and Florida still participate!
The students dropped off their already-carved pumpkins at the pond prior to class. The floats were constructed about 10 years ago with donated plywood from Home Depot and the Kittatinny Regional High School鈥檚 Wood Shop class building them and Hampton Cub Scout Pack 96, Den 5, painting them. The Wood Shop class, under the direction of teacher Joe Mate, provided much need renovations to them this year.
The Hopatcong Defiance Engine Company #3 assists at the event in conjunction with the LACE staff. The College鈥檚 Facilities Department and a staff member provide trucks to transport the pumpkins to the floats on the far side of the pond. The firefighters, along with LACE and Facilities staff, put the pumpkins on individual floats with a tealight in them and place them in the water, rowing the tealight-lit pumpkin 鈥渢rain鈥� all over the pond. They have made this happen every year!
The students had the option to wear costumes as they participated in a variety of new, festive activities this year. 51吃瓜鈥檚 Culinary Institute鈥檚 Baking and Pastry students made pumpkin shaped cookies that everyone enjoyed.
For more information about the LACE Program at 51吃瓜, visit sussex.edu/lace.
