Scary faces, black cat silhouettes, spooky sayings.
These are a few of the most common designs exhibited on jack-o’-lanterns during the Halloween season, which typically start to appear on the front step of residents’ homes in October.
To make Halloween’s jack-o’-lanterns even better this year, residents of the DMV will have the chance to observe thousands of intricately carved, pumpkin-based creations that stray far from the norm at the traveling event, Jack’s Pumpkin Glow, coming to Reston Oct. 3 to 27.
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“We work with a series of multimedia tools because while some of the creations are made of real pumpkins, a lot are Styrofoam and plastic, molded from the real thing,” says head carver Will Teran of this year’s event coming to NoVA, Chicago, Philadelphia and Nashville. “We handcarve between 5,000 and 6,000 jack-o’-lanterns for each show, which we work on throughout the entire year to make some magic happen.”
Kids and adults alike can marvel at jack-o’-lanterns of all shapes and sizes spread across a .33-mile trail, ranging from recognizable superheroes placed on the ground to life-size skeletons on motorcycles.
In addition to classic scenes containing dinosaurs, nature, under the sea and a winter wonderland, this year’s event will feature new creations that, according to Teran, are worth a visit.
“We added another 1,000 pumpkins to the Reston location alone this year,” says Teran. “I made a really cool series of fine art boards to pay homage to fine artists like Vincent van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci and Picasso that all just look awesome.”
After you walk along the lit up pathway, you can visit a pumpkin patch to pick up your own canvas, observe live carving demonstrations and indulge in fall-themed concessions, such as caramel apples and hot apple cider.
While the festivities are enjoyable for visitors both young and old, there is also fun in crafting the pumpkin-based art.
“As an artist, I am a sucker for the detail, the bright light. And I truly believe the bigger the better,” says Teran. “You want it all to be explosive.”
For tickets and more information, click here. // Lake Fairfax Park: 1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston; $16.99-$19.99 children, $22.99-$29.99 adults
