5,000 Hand-Carved Pumpkins To Light Up Lake Zurich This October

LAKE ZURICH, IL — A 2,212-pound pumpkin hauled in from Kansas, intricate 100-pound pumpkins that can take artists 20 hours apiece to carve and thousands of glowing jack-o’-lanterns are now on display in Lake Zurich.

Jack O’Lantern World opened Thursday for its sixth year, bringing more than 5,000 hand-carved pumpkins to a three-quarter-mile illuminated trail in Lake Zurich.

And getting the massive display ready is no small undertaking.

Five staff members work on the experience year-round, according to Ashley McGovern, event manager for Jack O’Lantern World. Once carving begins, about 50 artists and craftspeople help create the show — and they have one major rule.

Everything must be carved by hand. No power tools are allowed.

Organizers are carving more pumpkins than ever this year, topping 1,000 pumpkins per week, McGovern told Patch.

Among the new additions is a collection of intricately carved 100-pound pumpkins. Individual pumpkins can require as many as 20 hours of work, with designs featuring "The Wizard of Oz," superheroes, sports icons and America's 250th anniversary.

But even those pumpkins are dwarfed by some of the giants brought to Lake Zurich for the festival. This year's largest is a 2,212-pound pumpkin transported all the way from Kansas.

Organizers source the giant pumpkins from specialty growers across the Midwest, some of whom spend hours each day tending a single pumpkin, McGovern said. During the growing process, one of the enormous pumpkins can consume more than 150 gallons of water per day.

Once they arrive in Lake Zurich, artists carve the giant pumpkins and put them on display, where visitors can climb on them and get an up-close look at the massive gourds.

Their time at the festival is fleeting.

Once carved, the giant pumpkins typically last just one weekend before being disposed of. The growers then return to collect the seeds, McGovern said.

The massive gourds are among thousands of pumpkins featured at this year's Jack O'Lantern World, which has become an annual Lake Zurich tradition.

"This has become a tradition for tens of thousands of attendees each year," McGovern told Patch.

Organizers continue to change and expand the event each season with the goal of making it "the number one jack-o'-lantern festival in Chicago," she said.

The main attraction is a three-quarter-mile nighttime walking trail filled with illuminated pumpkin displays. The walk typically takes about 45 minutes, though visitors can spend longer exploring the displays.

This year's artwork includes jack-o'-lanterns inspired by America's 250th birthday, anime, sports legends and pop culture. Larger sculptures include a ship inspired by Homer's "Odyssey," a 40-foot whale named Echo and a 40-foot horse named Sally.

Visitors can also watch artists carve pumpkins live.

Jack O'Lantern World is organized by Lake Zurich-based All Community Events and is designed as a family-friendly, non-scary Halloween experience.

The festival also includes an expanded food and drink lineup this year. Phase Three Brewing Company is serving beer and other adult beverages, while food vendors include Speedy Tacos and My Funnel Truck.

A separate Fun Zone features giant inflatables, including 100-foot obstacle courses and a 30-foot slide, along with Halloween-themed miniature golf.

For families who prefer to visit before dark, daytime pumpkin patch events will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 10, 17 and 24. Admission to the daytime experience includes inflatables, miniature golf and a fall photo-op trail. Giant pumpkins, live carving, mascot photo opportunities and food and drinks will also be available.

A sensory-friendly session is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Oct. 11. Organizers say the limited-capacity session will begin about 30 minutes before full darkness and feature fewer people and lower music levels.

The U.S. National Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off will also be held in conjunction with this year's event.

Jack O'Lantern World runs through Nov. 1, and event parking is at 215 S. Rand Road in Lake Zurich.