2019 Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular Opens At Roger Williams Park Zoo

CRANSTON, RI — It's October in Rhode Island, which means its time for one of the most time-honored fall traditions: the Jack-O-Lantern spectacular at the Roger Williams Park Zoo. On Thursday night, the trail's gates opened to the public, kicking off another year of spooky family fun.

For decades, the zoo's wetlands trail has been transformed every fall into a Halloween wonderland, covered in thousands of intricately carved pumpkins following the year's theme. This year, the 5,000-pumpkin trail begins with a tribute to the late Stan Lee and Marvel comics, dominated by a massive Dr. Doom.

The largest theme throughout this year's Spectacular is a celebration of the four seasons. The music of the Nutcracker wafts through Winter, the first display. Through swirling fog, intricate carvings show ice skaters, nutcrackers and winter holidays. Heading into spring, the music changes to Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Flowers and birds cover these pumpkins, along with Easter bunnies and April Fool's Day. Heading into summer, the music is cheerful, upbeat, with images of children playing. As the pumpkins shift into fall, the scenes are Halloween-themed, jack o'lanterns with miniature versions of themselves carefully inscribed on their faces. In honor of Veteran's Day, a moving displays honors those who served in each of America's wars. The piece de resistance is a massive Iwo Jima pumpkin, one of the heaviest at this year's Spectacular. Weighing in at 1,700 pounds, the pumpkin took approximately 24 hours to painstakingly paint.

The Spectacular always ends with a tribute to those who have died in the past year. This year's display features a memorial to Nick Cardi, Rhode Island furniture titan and longtime sponsor of the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular. Cardi died following a years-long battle with cancer in early August.

It may only take about half an hour to walk through the entire trail, but the preparation takes month of planning and commitment by a dedicated team of artists and volunteers. As soon as one year wraps up, planning begins for the next, said Steve Curll, one of the event's organizers. Throughout the summer, the plans are solidified and any new equipment that's needed is ordered. Construction begins in July and August, ahead of crunch time in September. The crew has about a month to put everything together in time for October's opening, and since the perishable pumpkins must last a month, carving can't happen too far in advance. Despite all the work, Curll said he looks forward to the project all year.

"You come to work here and you know you'll have some fun," he said. "It's like a big family."

The mastermind of the Spectacular, the pumpkin genius and "lord of the gourd," is John Reckner. The pumpkins are his brainchild and his pride. To him, one of the biggest challenges is deciding on a theme. Each year must be unique and appeal to a wide age range.

"It's a lot of fun, it's a challenge," Reckner said. "It's like bootcamp for a month."

The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular is open to the public from Oct. 3 to Nov. 3. The rain-or-shine event runs every night, with timed tickets required on peak days.