Every October for the past six years, Iroquois Park, the 739-acre Fredrick Law Olmsted park located in Louisville's south end, has hosted the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular. The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular is a nightly exhibit of approximately 5,000 illuminated carved pumpkins that line a 1/3 mile trail within the park.
R and I attended the inaugural JOLS back in 2013 and in the six years since its debut, the event has become ridiculously popular, so much so that on some nights the estimated wait time can be upwards of 2.5 hours! This year, the traffic and crowds were so horrific on our first two attempts, a Saturday night around 9pm and a Tuesday evening around 8pm, that we turned around and went home. We were successful on our third attempt, 10pm on a Tuesday, and we only had to share the trail with a couple dozen other spectators.
Taking our time, it took R and I about 50 minutes to walk the 1/3 mile trail and admire the intricately detailed pumpkins. There are so many jack-o-lanterns every where you look that one could easily spend over an hour on the trail. Your pace is completely up to you.
If You Go:
Where:
Iroquois Park Amphitheater
1080 Amphitheater Road
Louisville, KY
When:
Daily, October 9 - November 4, 2018
Hours:
Sunday - Thursday, dusk (7:30ish) to 11:00pm
Friday & Saturday, dusk to midnight
Admission:
Sunday - Thursday: Adults $13; Seniors (62+) $11; Children (3-10yr.) $10
Friday & Saturday: Adults $17; Seniors $15; Children $14
*Children under 3 are free and the JOLS does offer discounts to active and retired military on tickets purchased through the box office Sunday through Thursday.
Happy National Pumpkin Day and
Happy (early) Halloween!
Happy (early) Halloween!
*Disclaimer: I received no compensation for this post. I paid the regular admission price, as did my husband.
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That is an amazing sight. Wish we had something like that around here
ReplyDeleteIt was very fun and "Halloweeny." Perhaps one day the opportunity will present itself to attend something similar.
DeleteThis is amazing! I wish there was something like this close to me
ReplyDeleteIt's really "spectacular" to see!
DeleteWow! So many impressive pumpkins! It looks like a great family-friendly even for Halloween. I wish I had those pumpkin carving skills. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard
ReplyDeleteThey really are amazing! It is very family friendly (that's why it's so hard to find a time to go when it's not crowded). LOL!
DeleteWow, fantastic blog layout! How long have you been blogging
ReplyDeletefor? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your web site is magnificent, as well as the content!
Thank you. I've been blogging for about 3.5 years.
DeleteIt is, isn't it? I love going!
ReplyDeleteWow, so many cool looking pumpkins! I love it!
ReplyDelete#TheWeeklyPostcard
So spooktacular! Thanks for the link too.
ReplyDeleteHappy Halloween have a spectacularly spookytastic day :-)
ReplyDeleteWow, people are so talented. I love the Winnie the Pooh pumpkin. I've heard of this but never been. Granted, it's not exactly a quick trip down, especially with the waits! lol
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.ent
Spactacular is a good word for it! Some amazing pumpkin artistry there. Being a bit "old school" though, I love the traditional carved pumpkin faces. Great stuff! Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.
ReplyDeleteThe specialty ones are painted, I guess so that they will last longer. There were so many traditionally carved faces to take in and they all had something unique about them, like a smirk or a toothy grin or something. It's really cool to see. Thank you for stopping by!
DeleteHow on earth do they get them all lit? Amazing display.
ReplyDeleteLOL! I believe they are all lit with bulbs and are connected via large circuits. I'm assuming that they are lit with a few flicks of some switches and voila! LOL! It is a really cool thing to see.
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