Jacko lantern festival1/11/2024 There are modest inclines and one or two steeper ones but nothing unmanageable if you are relatively healthy. We stopped at nearly every ornately carved pumpkin for pictures but made sure to visit both sides of the trail. Pumpkins are on both sides of the trail but the ornate ones seem to be on the right side the fist part of the trail and then both sides about 1/3 of the way in. The gravel trail is very wide with plenty of room for people to move about but large crowds clustering together occasionally made it difficult. Once on the 'pumpkin trail,' time really did stand still for us. To that point, we had probably walked a little over 1/4 mile. When our ticket was validated and we were granted access, it was about 9:30PM. Once through the vendor area, there were another set of lines where you queued for entrance to the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular. At 9:15PM, our line was allowed to walk through the concert area which took us past indoor restrooms as well as food/drink vendors. The lines for time-slots are clearly marked. Volunteers there confirmed our tickets and in which line to wait. We stopped at the port-o-johns before moving to the queues. There is handicapped parking for those with a need. It took us about 10 minutes to walk through grass to get to the paved entrance. We ended up in the furthest field on the venue side. When we arrived around 9:00PM, there were volunteers directing us where to park. Our time-slot was 9:30PM on 10/07 - I think it was opening weekend and the weather was perfect. Because of this, the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular was an amazing experience, in spite of some negative interactions. For our experience, we made a conscious decision that we would be patient, take pictures, talk, and enjoy our time on the trail together. You will be impacted by crowds, parking, ill-mannered individuals, volunteers/workers and weather. For the life of me I couldn't imagine making a negative comment about our visit but it is truly an individual experience. My wife and I travelled 3.5 hours to see this because we love the fall, love pumpkin carving and enjoy nature. If it’s a drive through next year we may have to pass on this. As a drive through it loses some of its luster. As a walk through event it’s truly stunning. This is the 8th year of this event and we have attended every one. Sure, I understand the need to keep traffic flowing but I also know that at $35 plus nearly a $4 online service fee people like to get their money’s worth and be able to enjoy the intricately carved pumpkins. Others have complained that they were there over 3 1/2 hours. Total time there was approximately 2 hours. The way they rushed us through it took only 20 minutes. The sign says once you reach the Jack-O-Lantern trail it should take 30 minutes. Since I was hurried along by staff my family was frustrated when they couldn’t focus to get a shot. As the driver I didn’t get to take any pictures but had to depend on my wife and daughter to take them. I’m happy that they didn’t cancel it this year but it’s a little tough to take pictures as they try to rush you through to keep up with the other cars. We have been to everyone so far.ĭue to the virus threat the event had to be made a drive through rather than a walking event. For my wife and I it’s the highlight of the Halloween season. And 45-50 minutes for my daughter and her boyfriend to go through it. I believe it took us 35-40 minutes to walk through it. Still it’s better than taking a chance that the time slot you want is sold out or even worse all the time slots are sold out. The one downside is the $3.95 fee(each ticket)attached to your purchase. Getting your tickets online is more convenient than waiting in a long line. It makes for a more enjoyable experience. We were also able to get a close in parking spot and we were able to exit quickly once we finished. We chose the 6:15 time slot(the earliest) on a weekday which allowed us to view the pumpkins without the throngs of people cramming in to take photos. A new feature this year allows you to pick a time slot so there’s not so many people at once. Remember not to use flash and please do not touch the pumpkins. It goes from the 1950s through the present including streaming services. This year’s theme is TV through the ages. I am always amazed at the talent displayed by these incredible artists. If you are a Halloween nut then viewing 5,000 hand carved pumpkins on a 1/4 mile walk is for you. We were thrilled that this event wasn’t canceled due to Covid and even more ecstatic that it is again a walkthrough.
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