From now until November 3, this is your chance to see the most incredible display of pumpkin history as The Roger Williams Park Zoo hosts the return of its annual Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular. Here, you can walk along a trail of more than 5,000 hand carved and beautifully illuminated pumpkins.
The family-friendly walk is one of the must-see things to do in the fall here in New England. The incredible event has grown in popularity over the years and last yearset an all-time record with more than 110,000 visitors.
The incredible display of pumpkins this year follows the theme of Pumpkinville, USA where pumpkin art was created to represent regions of the country with historical and cultural landmarks from each of the states. You can see images of the Southwest, a tribute to Hollywood and even a pumpkin with the face of President Clinton. Highlighted regions include Heartland of America, Pacific Coast, Mid-Atlantic, New England, and Appalachian Highlands. One scene commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation while another honored President Kennedy.
One of the best parts comes at the end of the trail with the show’s grand finale, a Laughing Tree where hundreds of glowing jack-o-lanterns on the ground and high up in the trees surround carved giants (well over 1,000 pounds) amid spooky fog and music, and, of course, repetitive laughter.
The Show runs rain or shine now through November 3rd from 6 to 11 p.m., with the last admission at 10 pm. Tickets Monday - Thursday are $12 adults, $10 seniors and $9 for children ages 3 – 12, with children under three admitted for free. Admission prices on Friday - Sunday are $15 adults, $13 seniors and $12 children ages 3 – 12; children two and under are admitted for free. The Roger Williams Park Zoo is located at 1000 Elmwood Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island. For more information, call (401) 785-3510 or visit www.rwpzoo.org.
(The Spectacular is a fundraiser for Roger Williams Park Zoo with proceeds from the event helping to support the Zoo’s environmental education and conservation efforts both locally and around the globe as well as Zoo improvements).
