Year-long fancy-dress fundraiser Lisa Hughes joins H&F Mayor for London Pumpkin Patch opening

Charity fundraiser Lisa Hughes, who is spending every day of 2026 in a different costume, will join the Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham at the official opening and press preview of London Pumpkin Patch on Friday 23 October.

Known online as ThatFancyDressWoman, Lisa will arrive at the Parsons Green event wearing the 296th costume of her year-long challenge.

At midday, H&F Mayor Councillor Sharon Holder will take part in the official opening ceremony before judging a fancy-dress contest open to children attending the Pumpkin Patch. The winners will receive giant chocolate bars.

The Mayor will attend in her full civic regalia, having also supported the inaugural London Pumpkin Patch in 2025.

A year in fancy dress
Lisa, from Farnworth in Bolton, began her challenge on 1 January with the ambition of wearing a different costume every day for an entire year.

She is raising money for three charities: Bolton Destitute Animal Shelter, childhood bereavement charity Winston’s Wish and Sussex Beacon, which supports people living with HIV.

Her imaginative daily transformations have included characters ranging from Marge Simpson and Cupid to Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders. The challenge has attracted a growing social-media following and coverage from BBC News, BBC Radio Manchester, the Manchester Evening News and other media outlets.

Lisa will travel to London specially for the press day, where she will explore the Pumpkin Patch, meet its Halloween characters and experience the immersive Trick-or-Treat Lane ahead of the public opening on Saturday 24 October.

Lisa Hughes said:
“Most people save fancy dress for Halloween, but I have been wearing a different costume every day since January. Coming to London Pumpkin Patch feels like the perfect way to celebrate one of the biggest fancy-dress occasions of the year.

‘Every costume gives me another opportunity to make somebody smile and draw attention to the three brilliant charities I am supporting. I am looking forward to revealing costume number 296 at the Patch.’

The Mayor returns to the Patch
Councillor Sharon Holder is serving her second consecutive year as Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham. A long-term Fulham resident and councillor for Lillie ward, she has spent many years supporting community participation, accessibility and the rights of Disabled people.

The Mayor attended London Pumpkin Patch during its first season in 2025 and will return this year in full civic regalia to help begin the event’s second year.

After the noon opening ceremony, she will judge the children’s fancy-dress contest, with Lisa joining the occasion as a special guest.

Halloween arrives on Parsons Green
Running from 24 October to 1 November 2026, from 10am to 7pm daily, London Pumpkin Patch will transform Parsons Green into an atmospheric urban Halloween destination filled with more than 10,000 pumpkins, live characters, seasonal food and drink, Halloween installations and family photo settings.

Admission includes a new Halloween play zone featuring Jack-o’-Lantern Toss, Giant Halloween Connect Four, Pumpkin Bowling, Hook-a-Spooky Duck and Pumpkins and Crosses.

Families can also book Trick-or-Treat Lane, a 30-minute immersive storytelling adventure in which children meet live characters and collect sweets as they knock on a series of colourful doors in a traffic-free setting.

Kate Love, co-founder of London Pumpkin Patch, said:
“Lisa has brought an extraordinary amount of creativity, humour and determination to her challenge. We are delighted that she is travelling to London to celebrate day 296 with us.

‘Having the Mayor return in her civic regalia to judge the children’s fancy-dress contest will create a brilliant opening moment for families—and some wonderful photographs.’

Press preview
Date: Saturday, 24 October 2026
Location: London Pumpkin Patch, Parsons Green, London SW6 4UL
Press arrival: 12:00 Noon
Opening ceremony and costume contest: 12:00 Noon Lisa Hughes, Mayor Sharon Holder and the London Pumpkin Patch founders will be available for photography and interviews, subject to advance arrangement.

London Pumpkin Patch opens to the public on Saturday 24 October and runs until Sunday 1 November 2026.

Tickets and visitor information are available at www.LondonPumpkinPatch.com.

ENDS

Notes to editors
About Lisa Hughes
Lisa Hughes, known online as ThatFancyDressWoman, is spending every day of 2026 in a different fancy-dress costume to raise funds for Bolton Destitute Animal Shelter, Winston’s Wish and Sussex Beacon.

Lisa shares her daily costumes through social media and is aiming to raise £10,000 by the end of the year.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1C4zD6MEMP/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatfancydresswoman
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatfancydresswoman
Fundraising page: https://gofund.me/3979e5da6

About Mayor Sharon Holder
Councillor Sharon Holder is the Mayor of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham for the 2026-27 municipal year.

A proud daughter of the Windrush generation, she grew up in Hammersmith & Fulham and later raised her own family in the borough. She has represented Lillie ward since 2014 and previously served as Cabinet Member for Public Realm and Lead Member for Inclusive Community Engagement and Co-production.

She is a longstanding advocate for accessibility, inclusion and equal rights and has held a leadership role with local disability organisation Action on Disability.

About London Pumpkin Patch
London Pumpkin Patch is an urban family Halloween experience located on Parsons Green, London SW6. Returning for its second year from 24 October to 1 November 2026, the event features more than 10,000 pumpkins, atmospheric displays, live characters, seasonal food and drink, family activities and photo settings.

Visitors can also book Trick-or-Treat Lane, a 30-minute immersive adventure bringing to life characters from the children’s book The Greatest Halloween Story That’s Never Been Told.

www.LondonPumpkinPatch.com
Media enquiries and accreditation
Kostas Zachoudanis
media@theseco.com High-resolution images, event artwork and interview requests are available through the media contact.

Contact Information

Kostas Zachoudanis

Press Relations

The Seasonal Events Company

media@theseco.com