To reduce wait times, tickets for Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays now must be purchased online where you sign up for a specific time slot. The zoo’s largest fundraiser of the year, the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular does draw huge crowds, which can be daunting, especially with children in tow. Each pumpkin is lit with LED lightbulbs, and the artists have to think carefully about how and where they carve each pumpkin to make sure that the right amount of light shines through. They use a mix of illustration markers, brush tip markers, and good-old fashioned Sharpies to make these gorgeous and intricate pumpkins. The carving team at workĪll of the pumpkins are designed and carved by hand no stencils are used, and the carvers even make their own pumpkin carving tools. While some of the artists work as full-time pumpkin carvers for the month of October, others squeeze pumpkin carving in between their full-time jobs. ![]() Plus, recreating each pumpkin every week means that they get to put new artistry into their original design. As a result, the artwork will slowly morph and change as the week goes by and the pumpkin begins to atrophy, so the viewing experience of the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular literally changes each passing night. When I spoke to one of the artists about it, he didn’t seemed bothered by it. Instead, he seemed to think of it as a fun challenge because it’s the only time he works with material that begins to rot the second he makes his first carve. How does it feel, though, as an artist, to have to continually redo your work? The thought of spending two days on a pumpkin, only to have to toss it at the end of the week, seems pretty heartbreaking. The carving team let me try my hand at a bit of pumpkin carving! Throughout the carving tent, fans were everywhere to keep the pumpkins dry. To keep the pumpkins as fresh as possible, the carvers need to eliminate as much moisture as they can. Each and every pumpkin is remade once a week, and the large carved pumpkins that make the exhibit so magical take anywhere from two hours to two days to complete. I had often wondered how the pumpkins stayed fresh for a month long event, and much to my surprise, I learned that the carving team constantly updates their pumpkins. But I hadn’t yet fully appreciated the amount of artistry, planning, and pumpkin gutting that goes into the event until this year when I had the chance to get a sneak peek “behind the scenes” look at the creation of the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular. Michele Meek, PhD.We are so grateful that through our partnership with Roger Williams Park Zoo we have the opportunity to share with our readers about the creation of the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular!Įvery year that I’ve attended Roger Williams Park Zoo’s Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular, I’ve always been amazed by the beauty of each carved pumpkin. Search Search afterschool apple picking autumn brunch casual restaurants chinese chocolate dance Diner downcity farmers' markets holiday season ice cream/frozen yogurt indoor activities late night living in RI markets nature outdoor activities pizza rainy day activities RI brands summer theater winter Categories Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular (october 8-November 1, 2009)Īll Rhode Less Traveled posts are unsolicited and funded entirely by the authors. And the fiery tribute to one of the prettier traditions of Halloween is truly worth the wait. Despite the line’s seeming to contain the entire population of Rhode Island, once dark descended, it moved fairly well. What we didn’t realize is that there is another queue within the zoo for people to wait until it’s dark enough outside, and there’s plenty of stands (and time) while you’re on that line to buy SuperPretzels (not as deserving of their name). We arrived at 5:30pm, waited in line, bought our tickets, then meandered near the entrance buying pretzels and drinking coffee. You’ll pass hundreds of hand-carved unique faces along the winding path and see the hundreds more lit lanterns shimmering in the trees and across the ponds.Įach evening it starts at 6pm, although sunset comes a bit later. The sheer number of pumpkins sacrificed to the cause of creating this glowing presentation is extraordinary. ![]() I usually take issue with things named spectacular, but I have to admit in the case of the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular, the name fits. ![]() Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo.
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