Let’s give ’em pumpkin to talk about
They’re orange. They glow. There are thousands of them around New England right now.
Sure, oversize skeletons are nice. So are tiny gravestones and cotton spread out to look like cobwebs.
But for some, October is mainly a celebration of pumpkins.
They are the best non-scary Halloween decor — even when carved with a sinister design, they’re still just ... squash.
If haunted attractions are too overwhelming, go for pumpkins. They’re everywhere and they won’t hurt you.
Here are four of the many ways to see glowing pumpkins around the region:
The Incredible Naumkeag Pumpkin Show, Stockbridge
Number of pumpkins: More
than 2,000
The deal: Naumkeag is a Gilded Age estate in the Berkshires with 48 acres of land — a prime destination during summer months. After Labor Day, the property closes for a bit, so Brian Cruey, Trustees of Reservations director for the Southern Berkshires, can lead a team of dedicated pumpkin carvers whose creations are placed all over the sprawling property. The pumpkins are actually made of reusable foam, but they look real enough, especially when glowing (actual pumpkins decay once they’re carved, of course, so for a monthlong show, it’s better this way, Cruey said). Cruey said most visitors to the pumpkin show are local. There’s food onsite, and a parking system that gets people in and out without hassle.
“We’ve got about 8 acres of design landscape, in addition to the historic home, and it pretty much traverses all of that.”
The details: Wednesday to Sunday through Oct. 29 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday admission is $25, $12 for children ages 2 to 12. Friday to Sunday is $30, $12 for children. Discounts for members. Sensoryfriendly hours available. thetrustees.org/ program/naumkeagpumpkin-show
Halloween on the Hill, Beverly
Number of pumpkins: 1,500
The deal: Long
Hill, also run by the
Trustees of Reservations, hosts this similar display of foam pumpkins handcarved by staff, volunteers, and artists. This year, there are a few new features, including a pirate ship manned by skeletons, all to the sound of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme song.
“It’s huge, and it’s really a showstopper,” said Pilar Garro, the portfolio director at Long Hill. Another new display this year is the “Hall of Faces,” a wall of pumpkins carved with famous faces from Kermit the Frog to Queen Elizabeth II.
Hot cider and snacks can be purchased during the event, plus mulled wine from Marble Ridge Winery on Fridays and Saturdays.
The details: Wednesday through Sunday, through Oct. 29, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday admission is $25, $12 for children. Friday to Sunday $30 for adults, $12 for children. Discounts for members. Sensory-friendly hours available. Free parking is available at 576 Essex St., Beverly. thetrustees.org/ event/89069/
Jack-O’-Lantern Spectacular, Providence
Number of pumpkins: More than 5,000
The deal: At the Roger Williams Park Zoo,Wetlands Trail turns into a walk around the globe. Pumpkins become the building blocks for international monuments like the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Pyramids, and they’re all made possible by the “Pumpkin King,” John Reckner of Oxford, Mass., and his pumpkin display business, Passion for Pumpkins.
During their visit, attendees can indulge in hot chocolate and apple cider, fried dough, hot dogs, and other snacks.
The details: Nightly through
Oct. 31 from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, admission is $18 for guests ages 13 and older, $15 for children ages 2 to 12. Friday to Sunday $21 for 13 and up, $18 for children. Discounts for members. Sensory-friendly nights are available. www.rwpzoo.org/jols/
Boston Lights, Boston
Number of pumpkins: 1
The deal: The Franklin Park Zoo’s fall light show is a festival of Chinese lanterns that takes guests through scenes that include crystals, dragons, seascapes, and more. But at the end is the main attraction for pumpkin and gourd fans. Veggie Man, a.k.a. Vegetable Man — designed by Tianyu Arts & Culture Inc., which also creates the lantern displays — is, in fact, an animatronic mannequin made of veggies. Zoo New England describes him as “an interactive lantern that moves to become larger than life! Veggie Man is a magical creature made up of pumpkins and other veggies, with an onion head and carrot fingers, delighting visitors of all ages.” You can wake him up. His head is an onion — or perhaps a shallot. He talks about what it’s like to be a man made of vegetables. There is a pumpkin on his back.
Sometimes one glowing pumpkin is enough, when a man made of veggies is wearing it.
The details: Through Oct. 29 from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Admission fee ranges, depending on date and time, from $19.95 to $30.45. Free for children ages 2 and under.