Jack O'Lantern Festival in Louisville 2024

The Louisville Jack O'Lantern Spectacular is an annual Halloween-themed event held in Iroquois Park, Louisville, KY, throughout October. This family-friendly event has become a beloved tradition, drawing thousands of visitors each year to enjoy an array of intricately carved pumpkins and themed vignettes set to music.

Festival Highlights

The Jack O'Lantern Spectacular has become the "must-see" event of the Halloween season. Held each October along a winding path in the enchanting woods of Iroquois Park, it offers guests a mesmerizing experience. This event transforms the park into an organic art gallery, showcasing thousands of intricately carved pumpkins arranged in creative-themed displays.

Illuminated Pumpkin Trail

The highlight of the celebration is the stunning nightly walk-through. The path features over 5,000 hand-carved pumpkins showcasing designs from popular movies, TV shows, books, video games, and bands. Carvers continuously enhance the displays, replacing pumpkins every 3-6 days, depending on the weather. The trail spans 1/3 of a mile (0,5 km) and can be enjoyed at your own pace, typically taking 35-45 minutes to complete.

Tickets & Hours

Purchasing a Jack O'Lantern Spectacular ticket supports the non-profit Parks Alliance of Louisville. Tickets typically go on sale in September and can be bought online on the festival's official website or at the Iroquois Amphitheater box office.

From Sunday to Thursday, the event runs from 6:30 pm to 10 pm, with timed ticket entries at 6:30 pm, 7:30 pm, 8:30 pm, and 9:30 pm. Ticket prices are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (65+), and $12 for children (3-12). Kids aged two and under enter for free.

On Fridays and Saturdays, the event extends its hours from 6:30 pm to 11:30 pm, with timed ticket entries at 6:30 pm, 7:30 pm, 8:30 pm, 9:30 pm, and 10:30 pm. Ticket prices on these days are $20 for adults, $17 for seniors (65+), and $15 for children (3-12), with children two and under entering for free.

History of the Jack O'Lantern Spectacular

The Jack O'Lantern Spectacular began in Oxford, Massachusetts, in 1988 as a fundraiser for the public school system, initiated by a few families and their children. As those children grew up, some, along with one of the fathers, brought the show to the Providence Zoo. This modest beginning led to the formation of Passion for Pumpkins, Inc., a multimedia production company. The event debuted in Louisville in 2013 and is now held annually in Iroquois Park, featuring over 5,000 artistically carved pumpkins illuminated at night as an "organic art show."