PANAMA CITY — When it comes to choosing the perfect pumpkin this fall, a local art studio offers a menagerie that will make your choice crystal clear.
Panama City Hot Glass, 100 Harrison Ave., blew over 500 glass pumpkins for its inaugural pumpkin patch. The studio, which opened earlier this year, offers pieces that feature curly uppers on feathered globes in various colors and sizes.
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“It’s all about offering glass and all things glass in Bay County,” said Brent McLeod, co-owner of the studio with his wife Arlene. “We make flat glass, hot glass; and we also add cold glass and stained glass art. We do whatever glass and glass pumpkins suit the holidays.”
The studio kicked off the season late last month, hosting a fall event to showcase the rows of pumpkins, which were mounted and placed throughout the studio. Hundreds of pumpkins were ripped from shelves in the first few weeks, according to McLeod.
“The reception has been tremendous. A lot of people can’t believe we have this in Panama City,” he said. “They absolutely loved it,” he added of the pumpkin patch.
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The studio often offers a novelty item to highlight something important. During Valentine’s Day, roses were blown; for St. Patrick’s Day, shamrocks; in support of National Appreciation Months of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month and LGBTQ History Month, pink pumpkins and a line of rainbow-colored glass ornaments were been blown away. And, yes, for Christmas, the hot glass studio is planning to blow some ornaments.
The studio offers six-week courses in glassblowing, individual sessions to make a single piece, private sessions, and more.
“Currently there are still a few dozen pumpkins on our shelves,” McLeod said. “And we’re still blowing pumpkins.”
Panama City Hot Glass, 100 Harrison Ave., is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Follow PCHG on Facebook and Instagram, or visit panamacityhotglass.com to learn more.
