In a beautiful setting at Don & Sybil Harrington’s Amarillo Botanical Gardens, lights will be glowing at the Trail of 1,000 Jack-O’-Lanterns, come Oct. 22 through Oct. 25, said Greg Lusk, director. On all four nights, the spooky event will start at 6:30 p.m. and end at 9 p.m. For some of us with imagination, it brings to mind Washington Irving’s mysterious story of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
Lusk said that he visited a similar exhibit in Chicago with his wife, and he couldn’t wait to bring it to Amarillo. Crowds will be thrilled with three giant singing jack ‘o lanterns, a giant butterfly and a glowing walkway lined with more than 1,000 hand-carved pumpkins, ghostly gourds and fall decorations along with fun and playful delights, carnival concessions, food trucks, photo opportunities and games. There will also be fall favorites such as hot cider and hot chocolate.
Amarillo Independent School District committed to having some of their students carve 300 pumpkins to help decorate the project. Lusk is asking for help transporting the pumpkins to different school sites with a small turnaround of time. Over 100,000 visitors come to the beautiful site throughout the year, according to Lusk. It is a totally non-profit agency, and they constantly work to dazzle their audiences, both local and international.
“The problem is that the pumpkins can’t be carved too soon or they rot out,” so it’s going to have to be through next week, Oct. 20-22, a short window of time before the opening, Lusk said.
According to Lusk, it will be a family event and not “too scary” for the little ones. Those who attend will be able to pick out a pumpkin to take home with them and test their carving or painting skills. Cute T-shirts will be available for purchase at the event in black, grey and purple with the Trail of 1,000 Pumpkins logo on the front.
The cost is $10 for general admission, and children ages 5 and younger get in free. Money made from the event will go toward Amarillo Botanical Gardens future events. Tickets will be sold upon entry.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Trail of 1,000 Jack-O’-Lanterns readies to open at Amarillo Botanical Gardens
Reporting by Nell Williams, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
