The Jack O’ Lantern Spectacular
This one is obviously very late in the game, but we still wanted to touch on it and bring it to our little Horror Whores. The Jack O’ Lantern Spectacular in Louisville, KY.
“The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular was started in Oxford, Massachusetts in 1988 by a handful of families and their kids as a fundraiser for the public school system. After they grew up, some of those high-schoolers and one of the dads eventually took the show to the Providence Zoo. From those humble beginnings, Passion for Pumpkins, Inc., a multimedia production company was formed. The event came to Louisville in 2013 and is held annually in Iroquois Park with more than 5,000 artistically carved pumpkins illuminated at night as an “organic art show”. “ - From the official website of the Jack O’ Lantern Spectacular http://jackolanternlouisville.com
We went a few years ago, pre-pandemic, off of a random Facebook ad. (We like keeping our algorithms spooky.) We truly didn’t know what to expect. How could they really make that many Jack O’ Lanterns? I’ll tell you the same thing I tell Shawna when she asks why I make so many small Rob jokes. “I don’t know, but it works.”
We were floored. Aside from some of our normal haunts, it is one of our favorite places to visit every autumn. This past year we convinced our friend group to go with us. To say they were also floored is a vast understatement.
At the beginning, you can find vendors selling snacks and drinks, alcoholic and not. The smell of kettle corn was a point of interest for Shawna.
The lines are long, the air chilled. Every bit of that is worth it just for the first time of walking up and seeing the archways leading in, filled with lit up Jack O’ Lanterns. You’re hit with a childlike sense of awe and wonder.
As you walk the trail, you are surrounded on all sides by Jack O’ Lanterns. I do mean all sides. Including above you. That’s not a joke. I swear. Look up and you’ll see tree branches arching over you with them hanging down. Spectacular indeed.
I believe my personal favorite part is the themed areas. You will find movies, comics, art, and literary themes just to name a few. There is something for everyone and then some. At the end of the trail, you’ll also find a booth selling merchandise. I can’t speak to every year, but this year’s design was particularly cute.
As I said above, there is something for everyone here. It’s a fun, family friendly event that benefits local Louisville parks. You are kind of a dick if you don’t go.