Pumpkins purchased at a farm stand or store traditionally have a tougher skin, protecting them during transportation. I was told that perhaps it wasn’t totally my fault, but perhaps the pumpkin I was carving. ![]() Standing back looking at even some of the more simple carvings I wonder why when I attempt to create a jack-o-lantern the finished project never quite turns out the way it looked in my head. Tickets can be purchased in advance and in both cases, the events are held rain or shine. Traditionally, for smaller crowds visit on weekday nights or the week following Halloween. Held in Louisville’s Iroquois Park, the quarter-mile trail also features over 5,000 pumpkins nightly and runs through the first weekend in November.īoth locations draw large crowds, especially on weekends. ![]() So much so that when Reckner’s son Travis moved to Louisville, Kentucky, he took along his passion for carving pumpkins and created Louisville Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular. It takes a dedicated team to create these works of art. Once a pumpkin has been “gutted” it begins to deteriorate and must be replaced every 4-5 days. If you quickly do the math, 5,000 pumpkins replaced every 4-5 days equals over 30,000 pumpkins that are carved and displayed throughout the course of the event. As the wheels in my head began turning, I wondered, how are these pumpkins able to last nearly a month when the pumpkins on my front porch rot after a week? The truth was revealed. In all, over 5,000 pumpkins are on display at one time during the Spectacular that runs until the Saturday following Halloween. A favorite area is known as the Laughing Tree where smaller pumpkins are carved and placed within the tree’s branches all the way to the very top. For instance, an area giving nod to endangered animals plays tribal music in the background, while a section devoted to late rock stars like David Bowie and Prince plays their music as well. Themes play an important role in the Spectacular, in fact, planning for the October event begins in January. The theme for 2016 American Treasures highlighting famous faces from history, music, movies and heroes that have appeared on United States postage stamps.Īs guests traverse the pathways lined with pumpkins they will encounter areas of special interest highlighted with accompanying music. In 2001, the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular was held for the first time at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence. Honoring the victims of 9/11 was a major theme that year. The event was a huge success and drew larger crowds each year forcing it to finally move to a new location. Believing his family could do something similar, they hosted their first Spectacular in 1988 as a fundraiser for a school. The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular has grown in such popularity that it is now held in two cities.įor John Reckner and his family, the love of carving pumpkins began as a family outing to a New England fall festival and viewing a coordinated neighborhood display. ![]() For one family, the craft of carving the perfect pumpkin has turned into an art form and a showcase they share with thousands of other families. You find the perfect pumpkin in the perfect patch and bring it home to carve a perfect masterpiece. Carving Jack-O-Lanterns is a fall family tradition.
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