After a successful run of 6 seasons at Rhode Island’s Roger Williams Zoo and McCoy Stadium, New England’s biggest Jack-O’Lantern lighted display will be hosted at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Connecticut during October 2008.

If you’ve never been to one of these before then you’re in for a treat. You’ll find thousands of pumpkins intricately carved by artists and grouped in “skits” commemorating such things as music, films, famous people and events.

There is nearly always an Elvis and Beatles tribute, and this year George Carlin - the comedian - will get special treatment.

The show is appropriate for all ages and the emphasis is on being wowed rather than scared. Some of the sets can take a single artist over 20 hours to create as they use special tools to remove the flesh and transfer the vision in their mind’s eye to the pumpkin.

I’ve been a number of times to the show and the creations really do have to be seen to be believed.

You wander from scene to scene along a define route so you don’t miss anything.

Add in lights, themed music and the cooler autumn nights, and you’ve all the ingredients for the Norwalk show to make many new admirers.

In this year’s show there are fewer skits planned than in past years to allow more concentration on creating the show stoppers - sounds to me like they are trying to top previous shows.

This is an outdoor and evening event so wrap up warmly and enjoy one of the most unique events in New England during the Halloween season, and one named a Local Legacy by the U.S. Library of Congress.

The dates to see the show will be 11 evenings: October 23 - November 2. Show times are 6pm - 9:30pm Sunday through Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights until 10:30pm.

Advance tickets are sold in 30-minute increments and the display remains open for 90 minutes after the last timed admission.

Price is $12 Sunday through Thursday and $14 Friday and Saturday.

In addition to hosting the Jack-O’Lantern Spectacular, the Martine Aquarium in Norwalk is also a great destination for the family in itself, with living exhibits on the marine life in Long Island Sound, and an IMAX theater with supporting themed films.

More information and details can be found about the Jack-O’Lantern Spectacular at the Maritime Aquarium’s site at www.MaritimeAquarium.org

Norwalk is located in the southwest corner of Connecticut and for more suggestions on attractions to see visit our special Southwest Connecticut vacations page here.
Another New England post by one of our writers is being prepared right now so be sure to visit again or just subscribe to our RSS Feed here and get notified automatically of events and news.

Cliff Calderwood
Publisher
New England Online Travel Online Blog

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