By Victoria Onorato
Staff Writer
Looking for a magical evening this Halloween? The RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns is a popular Halloween festivity with thousands of hand carved pumpkins at Old Westbury Gardens.
The “Garden of Gourds” on Long Island has themed carved pumpkins on display for the community to enjoy. This will be the sixth year Old Westbury Gardens is running the attraction. The garden is set up with over 5,000 pumpkins hand carved along a walkway. The walkway is roped off and pumpkins are off limits to attendees and not for sale. Yet there are areas designated for a fellow pumpkin lovers to take pictures next to these spooktacular masterpieces.
On site, there are several local artists who hand carve the pumpkins. Locals can apply to carve pumpkins on the event’s Facebook page, ‘RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns.’ Sarah Tsang, freshman forensic science major, has visited RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns three years in a row and noticed a difference in the presentation. “Every year I went, I saw that there weren’t as many pumpkins as the year before,” Tsang said.
Olivia Kavanaugh, junior art education major, visited RISE with her boyfriend Tyler McGarvey in mid-October. “My favorite part was at first the Star Wars and Game of Thrones, but this year they had a whole section for the Nightmare Before Christmas which has been my favorite movie since I was a kid,” Kavanaugh said.
If you are interesting in exploring the world of carved pumpkins, go to therise.org to get a ticket in advance. The garden will feature RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns until Oct. 29.
RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns also has a NYC location that displays 1,000 illuminated pumpkins now until Oct. 29.
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