Pumpkin Nights

The sights and sounds of fall. For families, that usually means pumpkin patches with rows and rows of gourds waiting to be taken home. Corn mazes. Hayrides. Daytime activities. But there’s something about Halloween that’s inherently tied to the night and its iconic symbol: the jack-o’-lantern.

Located in Arlington at Howell’s Farm, Pumpkin Nights offers a Texas-sized jack-o’-lantern experience with a fully immersive half-mile trail of imaginative spaces. The carvings range from the traditional to the captivatingly creative. The experience is fabricated from more than 10,000 carved pumpkins. The sheer volume of the extravaganza is a marvel.

Before entering the path, you can witness live pumpkin carvings. Watching a master at his craft with a variety of tools was a special delight. The thick, rough orange exterior melts away as the layers of flesh create depth and beauty. Seeing this uncommon medium patiently transformed into a masterful display that lasts only for a moment is rooted in the magic of Halloween.

As you begin your journey, the first spectacle of the night appears: an abundance of hanging jack-o’-lanterns synchronized to music. But that is just the beginning. Pumpkin Nights offers nine worlds to explore, filled with these masterfully carved gourds. For young children, the Enchanted Forest provides a glimpse inside the fantastical world of garden gnomes and fairies who dwell in candlelight pumpkins while oversized butterflies loom overhead. As you turn one corner in the path, you are greeted by a majestic glowing owl adorned with hundreds of candles on its wings.

The highlight for me was the lantern-filled Forbidden City, a foggy realm where awe-inspiring 40-foot dragons rest among the lights of glowing pumpkin lanterns. Adorable pumpkin frogs sit in the mist to ground the experience in beauty and fun rather than fright, reinforcing the Halloween spirit of the unexpected. Along every turn of the path, the oversized displays beckon you to the next world while the intricate elements of the scenes require pausing and admiring the attention to detail.

Unlike many nighttime activities of the season, Pumpkin Nights does not rely on scary themes or jump-scare tactics. Instead, it leans into the spirit of transformation and the unexpected.

It’s a unique experience that offers delights for all ages. For the young, it’s a magical world of glimmering sights, familiar scenes created from familiar forms that become something altogether different, like the world’s largest pumpkin guitar. For the young at heart, it’s an opportunity to pause and admire the craftsmanship of master carvers. For everyone, there are photo opportunities both staged and discovered along the path. And for wary travelers, there is a rest area with games and refreshments about halfway through.

For the best experience, purchase tickets in advance online. Children under 3 can attend for free. The trail is uneven, calling for comfortable shoes and lightweight strollers only. Pumpkin Nights does not recommend their event for those who require mobility aids. Allow time for parking and exploring the Pumpkin Village at the beginning of the experience which includes the opportunity to eat and drink while watching firebreathers.

Pumpkin Nights

6pm-9pm thru Sat, Oct 31, at Howell’s Farm, 4016 W Division St, Arlington. Tickets start at $20. 801-432-0139.