Actions

Over 3,000 hand-carved pumpkins light up this Denver area Halloween festival

Pumpkin Nights now open until Sunday, Nov. 4
Posted at 4:55 PM, Oct 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-18 00:07:10-04

ADAMS COUNTY FAIR, Colo. – Halloween would be nothing without carved pumpkins, and what better way to get in the spirit – and get some inspiration along the way – than to journey along a path made up of over 3,000 of them?

Pumpkin Nights, which is opening this Wednesday at the Adams County Fair and Regional Park Complex, is bringing its interactive Halloween experience to the Denver metro area for the first time ever. 

“Pumpkinheads” (get it, Grateful Dead fans?) will be able to explore eight pumpkin lands made up of more than 3,000 hand-carved pumpkins. The Pumpkin Lands include:

  • Pumpkin Pirate Cover – a tropical island that involves pumpkin pirates and a treasure hunt.
  • Maravilla Lane – think of the altars you saw in Pixar’s “Coco.”
  • Pumpkin Reef – an all-UV light underwater pumpkin wonderland.
  • Spider Alley – a land full of intricate pumpkin spiders and bugs. 
  • Forbidden Pumpkin City – An Asian-inspired land filled with a lantern tunnel and a 40-foot dragon.
  • Great Pumpkin Hall – This one is for all you Harry Potter fans out there.
  • Monster Mash – The most interactive of all pumpkin lands.
  • Pumpkin Passage – A journey that begins by walking through a pumpkin tunnel with hundreds of carved Jack-o’-lanterns and ends with greeting a 9-foot-tall pumpkin.

Just in case you thought the adventure was over once you venture through the half-mile festival, Pumpkin Central will be awaiting you so you can check all the classic must-dos off your fall bucket list.

Pumpkin Central will feature tastings and treats, seasonal beverages, a screening of Pixar’s “Coco,” a pumpkin patch, pumpkin painting, live pumpkin carving, fire dancers at the Pumpkins Fire Show and much, much more.

GALLERY: Check out some of the lands at Pumpkin Nights 

“We’re excited to bring the magic of Pumpkin Nights to Denver for the first time,” said Chelsea Kasen, co-founder of Pumpkin Nights. “Pumpkin Nights is the perfect Halloween treat for everyone, whether you’re bringing your family, friends or a date. Choose your own adventure and explore all Pumpkin Nights has to offer.”

Pumpkin Nights is open daily (except Halloween) from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and runs through Sunday, Nov. 4.

General admission is $20; $16 for seniors (60 and up) and for kids ages 4 through 12; the festival is free for anyone 3 years of age and under. Information about family packages and other special ticketing offers can be found in the festival’s website.

Pumpkin Nights is only open in three other cities across the U.S.: Pomona, Calif.; Salt Lake City, Utah, and Auburn, Calif., making this event a one-of-a-kind Halloween adventure for the whole family.

RELATED HEADLINES -- 

13 Colorado pumpkin patches to go to this year if you're hoping to carve the perfect Jack-o'-lantern