By 1812Blockhouse
For three October evenings, Kingwood Center Gardens will trade its usual autumn colors for something a little more luminous. The Great Pumpkin Glow returns Friday through Sunday, October 16-18, filling the gardens with more than 1,000 glowing jack-o’-lanterns carved by members of the community. The annual event runs from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM each evening and combines illuminated garden displays, family activities, food, music, and plenty of seasonal atmosphere.
Presented by OhioHealth, the event has become one of Kingwood’s signature fall traditions.
More Than A Thousand Faces In The Dark
The pumpkins are the centerpiece. Visitors will follow garden paths lined with more than 1,000 illuminated jack-o’-lanterns, each adding its own expression to the display. Many are created during community pumpkin-carving sessions, giving the event a distinctly local character.
Beyond the pumpkins, Kingwood will offer several other illuminated attractions, including Scarecrow Row, the Greenhouse Glow, and the Fluorescent Forest.
The transformation takes advantage of the gardens themselves, using paths, plantings, trees, and buildings as part of the experience rather than simply providing a backdrop.
An Evening Built For Families
The Great Pumpkin Glow extends well beyond the light displays. A Kids Carnival, family activities, a live DJ, fall decorations, and other attractions will be spread throughout the grounds.
Food trucks scheduled during the weekend include Bruisers BBQ, V&M Kitchen, Zubricky’s Certain Ethnic, Chuy’s Tacos, Kona Ice, Chocolate’s & More, The Kettle Korner, Ibby’s Lemon Shake Ups, Nomad Coffee, and others.
Several vendors will appear on selected nights, including Twisted Concessions on Friday; Cowgirl Creamery and Grunt Grub on Friday and Saturday; and Mr. Bill’s Woodfired Pizza and Athena Gyro Express on Saturday. Visitors can also stop at Snacks & Sips in the Courtyard for refreshments, wine, and beer, while the Gateway Café inside the Garden Gateway visitor center will offer additional treats and drinks. The Glow Shop will feature illuminated merchandise and other seasonal items.
Timed Tickets Required
Everyone attending the Great Pumpkin Glow must reserve a timed-entry ticket, including Kingwood members and children. Non-member admission is $12 for visitors age 13 and older and $6 for children ages 7 through 12. Children 6 and younger are admitted free. Kingwood members pay $10 for ages 13 and older and $5 for ages 7 through 12, with admission again free for children 6 and younger.
Tickets, which can be obtained here, designate a half-hour arrival period. A visitor holding a 6:00 PM ticket, for example, should arrive between 6:00 PM and 6:30 PM. Guests arriving more than one hour after their scheduled entrance window will have to upgrade to a walk-up ticket for an additional $2 per ticket.
Once inside, however, there is no scheduled departure time. Visitors can explore at their own pace until the event closes at 9:00 PM. The final admission each evening is at 8:30 PM. The Great Pumpkin Glow is an all-weather event, and tickets are nonrefundable.
Parking At Mansfield Senior High School
Event parking will be available at Mansfield Senior High School, with vehicles entering near West Fourth Street and West Park Boulevard. Complimentary shuttles will carry visitors from the parking area to the event entrance on Linden Road. A marked pedestrian route will also be available for those who prefer to walk. Accessible parking will be available for vehicles displaying the appropriate plate or placard. There will be no event parking at Arlin Field.
With hundreds of carved faces flickering along the pathways, glowing displays tucked into the gardens, and the grounds filled with music and fall activity, the Great Pumpkin Glow offers Kingwood at its most theatrical.
For three nights, the gardens will belong to the pumpkins.
Image by SzaboJanos from Pixabay
