Wade Lapp is a multimedia sculptor and carver who’s been turning raw materials into jaw-dropping works of art for the past 15 years. His creative journey started with a knife, a pumpkin, and maybe a little too much free time. What began as a fun experiment in 3D pumpkin carving — sculpting realistic faces just for laughs — quickly snowballed into a full-blown artistic obsession.

Before long, Wade traded pumpkins for sand, heading to the beaches of the West Coast to perfect his craft. There, he spent several seasons competing in team events and building massive exhibition sculptures that made castles look boring. His skills caught serious attention at Texas SandFest, where he snagged first place two years in a row as a semi-pro, then leveled up to the Masters Duos division and took home People’s Choice. 

But Wade doesn’t stop at sand. He picked up a chainsaw and dove headfirst into wood carving, quickly climbing the ranks of the carving world. His sharp precision, dynamic style, and fearless creativity earned him spots in international chainsaw carving championships, proving he’s as comfortable with a chainsaw as most people are with a butter knife.

As if that weren’t enough, Wade also carves ice sculptures — Competing in the Ice Art Championship for three consecutive years, he made a cool impression (literally), taking second place in the multi-block competition his very first year and winning People’s Choice the next.

Today, you can find Wade’s work bringing spooky magic to Spirit of Halloween Town in St. Helens, Oregon. His wood sculptures help set the mood for fan-favorite attractions like Walking with Pumpkins and Whispers in the Woods. One of his showstoppers is a 17-foot Pumpkin Totem Pole, carved from a single cedar log — proof that Wade has both the vision and the upper body strength to back it up.

From the fleeting beauty of sand and ice to the timeless allure of wood, Wade Lapp’s art continues to captivate audiences everywhere. What started as a simple pumpkin experiment has turned into an international journey of creativity, craftsmanship, and just the right amount of chaos.