See a jack-o'-lantern display

At a jack-o’-lantern festival, hundreds of carved pumpkins are set out along a path, lit from inside, and you walk through them in the dark. It’s one of the most beautiful things to do in October and takes about an hour. It’s also easy: you buy a ticket, put on a warm layer and walk.

Find a jack-o’-lantern festival

Many towns, zoos, botanical gardens and farms put on a display in October. Search for your area plus “jack-o’-lantern” or “pumpkin walk”. Some are big, ticketed events with sculpted scenes, and some are small community ones along a street or a park path.

Look at the event page before you go for:

• Dates and opening times
• Whether tickets are timed
• Whether it’s outdoors, and what happens in rain
• Parking, and how far you’ll walk from the car
• Whether it’s accessible, if you need that

Book your tickets

Ticketed displays sell out on weekends, so book ahead. Prices vary, and most land in the under-$20 range per person, though some bigger events cost more. If a ticket is timed, arrive a little early, because the line can take time.

Choose the night

Go after dark. The pumpkins are lit and the colours show up best once the sky is black. Weeknights and the first weeks of the season are usually quieter, which makes it easier to stop, look and take photos. Weekends can be crowded, but the atmosphere is part of it.

Who to go with

Go with a friend or one other person. It’s an easy, low-pressure evening, and the walk gives you time to talk. It’s also lovely alone, if you want a quiet hour.

What to wear and bring

• A warm layer, a hat and gloves if it’s cold, because you’re standing outside
• Comfortable shoes, since paths can be uneven, damp or grassy
• A charged phone, for photos and for finding your car
• A small flashlight or your phone light for dark patches, though the pumpkins give most of the light

Check the forecast, and bring an umbrella if it might rain.

What to expect

1. You park and walk to the entrance, where you show your ticket.
2. The route winds along a path, and you follow it at your own pace.
3. The pumpkins are grouped into scenes: animals, faces, patterns, characters or a whole sculpture made of pumpkins.
4. There may be food, hot drinks and small stalls near the end.

Most displays use electric lights or flameless candles, but some use real flame. If they do, keep your hair, scarf and sleeves clear.

Taking photos

Photos of lit pumpkins can be hard because the light is dim.

• Use night mode, and hold your phone steady or rest it on something.
• Don’t use the flash. It flattens the glow.
• Get close to one pumpkin rather than a wide shot of a crowd.
• Be patient and wait for a gap in the crowd.

Put the phone away for part of the walk. The best part is seeing it with your own eyes.

Make a night of it

Treat the walk as the main event and plan the rest around it. Eat before you go, since food at the venue can be pricey and lines can be long. Leave a bit of time before your slot for parking, and check where the exit is so you aren’t circling the parking lot afterwards. If you’re driving back late, take turns being the driver and agree on a time to leave. A thermos of something warm in the car makes the walk back feel like part of the evening.

Be considerate

Don’t touch or move the pumpkins, and stay on the path. Many are carved by hand and take a lot of work. If you’re with a group, step aside to let people pass while you take pictures.

Make it a fall evening

Have something warm afterwards, like a hot cider or a hot chocolate, and a walk back to the car in the cold air. If it inspires you, carve a pumpkin at home the next weekend and put it on your steps. For another evening out after dark, try a ghost tour.