Thursday, October 25, 2018

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular: A Photo Essay


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!

*Disclaimer: I received no compensation for this post.  I paid the regular admission price, as did my husband.


Linking up with:









17 comments:

  1. That is an amazing sight. Wish we had something like that around here

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was very fun and "Halloweeny." Perhaps one day the opportunity will present itself to attend something similar.

      Delete
  2. This is amazing! I wish there was something like this close to me

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow! 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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They 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!

      Delete
  4. Wow, fantastic blog layout! How long have you been blogging
    for? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your web site is magnificent, as well as the content!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, so many cool looking pumpkins! I love it!
    #TheWeeklyPostcard

    ReplyDelete
  6. So spooktacular! Thanks for the link too.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy Halloween have a spectacularly spookytastic day :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, 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

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.ent

    ReplyDelete
  9. 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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The 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!

      Delete
  10. How on earth do they get them all lit? Amazing display.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL! 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.

      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...