There’s a new Halloween icon haunting Hollywood Boulevard, and it’s made entirely of pumpkin.
Raising Cane’s founder and CEO Todd Graves gave Halloween an extra crispy twist this year, debuting a jaw-dropping 2,518-pound jack-o’-lantern nestled between Madame Tussauds and the TCL Chinese Theatre on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The “boo-tiful” creation — carved by Food Network’s Halloween Wars star Eric Jones and grown by Emmett Andrusz, a 2025 Grower of the Year — marks the second-largest pumpkin in the entire country. And if that wasn’t big enough, Graves revealed he’s got another one (the nation’s largest, in fact!) on display in Times Square.
“This is gonna be one of the best Halloweens of my life,” Graves told press during the unveiling, beaming beside the massive gourd. “I love Halloween, I love festivities, and I wanted people to enjoy something magical. Pumpkins are inspiring — I want kids to walk by and think, ‘Hey, someone grew this! Maybe I can do that too.’”
The pumpkin, carved over 30 painstaking hours with 10 different vegetables and more than 100 tools, features an LA-meets-Halloween theme complete with movie magic, spooky details, and a witch brewing up none other than the brand’s iconic Cane’s Sauce.
“We wanted to bring a Hollywood twist to it,” Jones shared with Celeb Secrets and other outlets. “This pumpkin is all things Cane’s, all things Halloween, and all things LA. It’s beautifully organic in the middle of a concrete jungle.”
Andrusz, who spent 110 days growing the pumpkin to its supersized scale, said seeing it come to life in front of hundreds of fans felt “unbelievable.” “It’s so rewarding,” he shared. “You give these pumpkins all your love and attention — every single bit of it — and to see everyone stop and smile makes it worth it.”
The star-studded celebration turned Hollywood Boulevard into a trick-or-treat dreamscape. Celeb Secrets caught up with special guests Karrueche Tran, Malika & Khadijah Haqq, and more as they got into the spooky spirit with Cane’s combo meals in hand.
“I’ve learned so much about pumpkins today,” Karrueche laughed, telling us she’s in her “auntie era” this Halloween. “They said these things grow like 40 to 50 pounds a day — that’s wild! I’m keeping things chill this year with my nieces and nephews and a pumpkin decorating party.”
As for her favorite Cane’s order? “Three-piece combo with extra Texas Toast and a half-sweet tea, half-lemonade,” she shared. “And, of course, extra Cane’s Sauce. Running out of that is scarier than any horror movie.”
Twin sisters Malika and Khadijah Haqq also stopped by for the unveiling, gushing about the giant gourd. “This is the biggest pumpkin I’ve ever seen in my life,” Malika told Celeb Secrets. “Only Todd Graves could come up with something this exciting.” Khadijah added, “We’re chicken finger girls through and through — and Halloween is for the kids, but we’re having our fun too!”
Graves’ love for Halloween dates back nearly 30 years, when he’d hand out ghost-shaped Tootsie Pops to his Raising Cane’s crew as a thank-you gesture. Now, that same spirit fuels nationwide displays, glow-in-the-dark cups, and even a digital VR Halloween experience for fans.
“I’ve always loved jack-o’-lanterns,” Graves said. “Last year, we had the world’s biggest pumpkin in Calabasas, and this year we’ve got the biggest and second-biggest pumpkins in the country. I couldn’t think of better places to share them than Hollywood and Times Square.”
And the celebrations don’t stop there — the Hollywood pumpkin will make another spooky cameo at the city’s biggest Halloween bash later this evening: Michael Braun and Vas Morgan’s star-studded party, co-hosted by Graves himself. Naturally, a Raising Cane’s food truck will be there to serve fresh Chicken Fingers and Cane’s Sauce well past midnight.
Already looking ahead, Graves hinted that he’s already thinking bigger. “Next year, we’re going for 3,000 pounds,” he teased during the press conference. “Somebody’s gotta do it, and we’re gonna do it right here in Hollywood.”
Check out our favorite moments from the event below and don’t forget to let us know what you think of Raising Cane’s Giant Pumpkin by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecrets.
Raising Cane’s will open at Hollywood & Sunset next week on November 4 and at Hollywood & Highland in early 2026.
View this post on Instagram
Interview quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity.
