Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular returns to Roger Williams Park Zoo in October

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The acclaimed Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular presented by Citizens Bank will return to Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, with shows running nightly from Oct. 2 through Nov. 2.

This highly anticipated annual event features a breathtaking display of 5,000 illuminated jack-o-lanterns, with over 125 of them artistically carved and displayed in scenes to play out the annual theme.

Situated on the zoo’s picturesque wetlands trail, the event has won praise from across the nation for its amazing artistry and appeal as a unique, family-friendly autumn destination. Over 100,000 people have come in each of the past four years to enjoy the nighttime show, and last year’s spectacular set an all-time record of over 135,000 visitors.

“Citizens Bank is pleased to once again sponsor the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular, which continues to grow as a family favorite regional destination during the fall,” said Barbara Cottam, EVP, RI market executive and head of corporate affairs for RBS Citizens. “This unique pumpkin display is a great event for people of all ages to enjoy, and we look forward to another season as the presenting sponsor.”

The 2014 presentation, titled “Jack-O-Lanterns from A to Z,” will delight new and repeat visitors alike. Scenes filled with intricate pumpkin art will be arrayed in alphabetical order, with highlights from history and popular culture. For example, D is for dinosaur, F is for fantasy, H is for Horoscope, J is for jungle, T is for famous thinkers, and so on. Another section will honor inspirational figures such as Princess Diana and Nelson Mandela.

Show standards will return, such as the childhood favorites and Halloween scenes, and the show’s dazzling grand finale, the Laughing Tree. Hundreds of glowing jack-o-lanterns on the ground and high up in the trees surround carved giants (well over 1,000 pounds) amid spooky fog and music, punctuated by its iconic catchy beat and laughter.

Crews from Passion for Pumpkins, the show creators, will spend several weeks leading up to the event creating the magical display. Then, they will work nearly around the clock throughout the 32-night run to keep the show fresh for visitors.

The show will run rain or shine from Oct. 2 through Nov. 2 from 6 to 11 p.m., with the last admission at 10. The event will be extended one hour on Saturdays to close at midnight with the last admission at 11.

The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular is an important fundraiser for Roger Williams Park Zoo. Proceeds from the event will help to support the zoo’s environmental education and conservation efforts both locally and around the globe as well as zoo improvements.

Tickets prices from Monday to Thursday are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $9 for children ages 3 to 12. From Friday to Sunday, tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for seniors and $13 for children ages 3 to 12. Children 2 and under are admitted for free.

The popular Harvest Buffet will be available Friday through Sunday nights at $25 for adults and $13 for children. Meal tickets will be purchased in addition to spectacular admission tickets and will include express entry to the pumpkin trail.

Groups of 25 or more may call 467-0150 for advance reservations and group rates. No individual advance tickets will be sold. For more information, visit the zoo’s website, call 785-3510 or write to groupsales@rwpzoo.org.

The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular was founded many years ago by John Reckner, an Oxford, Mass., resident who recently retired from his postal carrier career. Inspired by a Vermont farm he had seen lined with glowing jack-o-lanterns, Reckner organized the first spectacular in Oxford in 1988. The jack-o-lanterns featured in this first event were carved by local residents and displayed for only one evening on a hillside behind a local school. About 300 spectators attended. Today, Reckner, his family and their crew of jack-o-lantern artists, now known as Passion for Pumpkins, continue to bring the spectacular to life.

Selected by the U.S. Library of Congress as a national “local legacy,” and praised as “one of the most brilliant displays of holiday artistry anywhere in the U.S.,” the spectacular has also been featured by Martha Stewart Living, The Travel Channel, “The Today Show,” “The Early Show,” USA Today and CNN, and hailed by the Associated Press as “extraordinary.” It was featured on abc.com as one of the “top 11 Spookiest Destinations” in the country.

The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular was selected by the American Bus Association as one of the nation’s top 100 events in 2013. The Boston Globe called the presentation “awe-inspiring.”

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