Thousands of jack-o’-lanterns will set the woods of Iroquois Park aglow next week.
Some 5,000 fresh, artistically carved pumpkins will illuminate the park for about three weeks during this year's Jack-O'-Lantern festival. The festival is in its fourth year and is expected to draw nearly 90,000 people to the park, according to a news release.
The pumpkins are intricately carved, depicting famous movie scenes, celebrities and more localized delicacies, like college basketball, Muhammad Ali and the Kentucky Derby.
Some of the pumpkins are expected to weigh thousands of pounds. Others will be traditional jack-o’-lanterns. Pumpkins are rotated weekly, creating a new look each week, according to a news release.
Spookiness is not the idea. Still, the event is held in the woods of Iroquois Park — at night.
The trail is about a quarter of a mile long. The Iroquois Amphitheater can provide one or more escorts for the entire trail for visitors who use a wheelchair or have other mobility needs, according to the event’s website.
The festival begins October 13 and ends November 6, per the release. The trail is open rain or shine.
Event gates will stay open from dusk to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from dusk to midnight on Friday and Saturday. Tickets will range in price from $9 to $15 depending on time and type, according to the website. Proceeds benefit the Louisville Parks Foundation.
Passion for Pumpkins Inc., which produces the event, has been in the jack-o’-lantern business for nearly 25 years and has put on shows throughout the Northeast. In fact, the events put on by the group were deemed a “Local Legacy” by the Library of Congress in 1999.
