Rhode Island’s Jack O’Lantern Halloween Spectacular: Over 5000 Unique Artistic Creations!
After watching a “Halloween Crazier” special on the Travel Channel, Mike & I knew we had to make a trip over to Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island for the annual Jack O’Lantern Spectacular Event. This amazing artistic event held every October features over 5000 intricately carved pumpkins.
The Pumpkin Trail
As you walk along the Pumpkin Trail, you will be awed by the number of creative Jack O’Lanterns present. These aren’t your ordinary carvings; you will find detailed celebrity, nature, historical, and political creations. The theme varies by year: this year’s theme is a dedication to the different regions of the US. The Heartland, Pacific Coast, Mid-Atlantic, Appalachians, and New England were all uniquely represented by their own Jack O’Lanterns.
The best part of the trail is arriving at the amazing grand finale. 1000’s of Jack O’Lanterns cover both the ground and the trees. This is one of the most jaw dropping Halloween displays I have ever seen. It really is something you need to see in person to truly appreciate!
How long does it take to carve all those pumpkins?
It takes the artists between 15-20 hours to complete each pumpkin. And, they replace the old pumpkins with fresh creations each week! Imagine all the time & effort involved in this event! An intricate sketch is drawn on each pumpkin. Next, small pieces are carved out, rather than the traditional full cut out (the ending effect is mesmerizing).
Rhode Island’s most popular Halloween event
This is a very popular event. Open 7 days a week, we figured Tuesday would be perfect, however, the crowds were still enormous! We arrived at opening time and still had to wait a half hour to get on the trail. I recommend buying online tickets in advance so you can bypass the long lines. It was hard to get as many high quality photos as we would have liked, however, we did our best!
Pumpkinville USA
Enjoy looking through this spectacular photo gallery featuring some of the best pumpkin carvings of all time! These photos are from the 2013 event. Each state was represented with an artistic and creative jack o’lantern!
New England themed carvings
Representing Maine…lobster and lighthouse
Live Free or Die (New Hampshire state slogan)
A historic New England covered bridge
Family Guy (takes place in Pawtucket, Rhode Island)
Benjamin Franklin (born in Boston, MA in 1706)
“Boston Strong” In memory of the Boston Marathon
“The Heartland” themed carvings
Representing the Midwest
The famous “American Gothic” painting
“Motown Magic”
Thomas Edison (did you know that he was born in Ohio?)
The Late Show with David Letterman
Dorothy & Toto “The Wizard of Oz”
Michael Jordan…the best basketball player of all time
Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota
Southeast state carvings
Bill Clinton…42nd President from Arkansas
Cool set up of Jack O’Lanterns spelling out Mississippi over the water
Lionel Richie, singer songwriter from Alabama
Mountain state carvings
Idaho…what a beautiful cat carving
A beautiful desert silhouette carving representing the Southwest
The beautiful red rocks of Utah
Nevada…The entertainment capital of the world!
Appalachian Highlands themed carvings
Elvis “The King of Rock and Roll”
The Kentucky Derby
Appalachia
Mid-Atlantic themed carvings
Audrey Hepburn “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
New Jersey…”The Garden State”
Atlantic City…”America’s Favorite Playground”
Albert Einstein (died in New Jersey in 1955)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (originated in Ulster County, NY)
George Washington
Martin Luther King
The Pacific Coast themed carvings
Hollywood…Tom Cruise & Marilyn Monroe (not sure who the actor in the middle is?)
Seattle…home to Bill Gates, Microsoft & Starbucks Coffee
Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
California’s Beautiful Yosemite National Park
Historic Haight Street in San Francisco
Aloha Hawaii
Hours & location
The Jack O’Lantern Spectacular event takes place at Roger Williams Park Zoo, located at 1000 Elmwood Ave. Providence, Rhode Island 02907. Event runs from Sept. 29th-Oct. 31st. Trail open from 6pm-10:30pm (last entry at 10). Pricing varies based on date. Check the website for more details and next year’s time/dates. Both free parking and premier parking ($10) are available. The free parking lot is adjacent to the paid lot.
Snacks and hot drinks are available at the start and end of the trail. The zoo itself is not open, however, you may pass by a few animals while on the trail.
Have you ever attended Rhode Island’s Jack O’Lantern Spectacular? What was your favorite carving? How did you like the carvings at this year’s event? Feel free to share your thoughts below! Happy Halloween!