Every 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. 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.
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. 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. To keep the pumpkins as fresh as possible, the carvers need to eliminate as much moisture as they can. Throughout the carving tent, fans were everywhere to keep the pumpkins dry.
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. 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. 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. Plus, recreating each pumpkin every week means that they get to put new artistry into their original design. 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. I’m floored and hugely impressed.
All of the pumpkins are designed and carved by hand; no stencils are used, and the carvers even make their own pumpkin carving tools. They use a mix of illustration markers, brush tip markers, and good-old fashioned Sharpies to make these gorgeous and intricate pumpkins. 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.
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. To reduce wait times, tickets for Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays now must be purchased online where you sign up for a specific time slot. In my book, this is a huge #momwin: it makes coordinating and planning the evening so much easier, especially with young children.
With the theme of “time travel,” the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular is guaranteed to catch the eye of everyone who attends. Starting with the dinosaurs and going through the Ice Age, Ancient Egypt and Rome, the Renaissance, and through the 19th and 20th centuries, the beautifully carved pumpkins are a built-in history lesson for your children. With pumpkins ranging from the movie “Ice Age” to the Battle of Waterloo to the Space Shuttle Challenger, the theme provides the perfect opportunity to spark conversation, curiosity, and wonder in your kids.
And don’t forget to check out the Soaring Eagle Zip Ride while you’re there. As someone who is petrified of heights, I was hesitant to try it, but I’m so grateful I did: the Soaring Eagle Zip Ride gives stunning views of the Jack-O-Lanterns and downtown Providence. (Keep in mind that tickets are limited to 40 people an hour, so plan accordingly!)
The breathtaking beauty and enchantment of this year’s Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular will surely thrill and delight children and parents of all ages.