Your journey through Pumpkin Nights begins with a simple task.
As you make your way through eight different pumpkin lands made of more than 3,000 artificial carved pumpkins, keep your eyes peeled for the special pumpkin symbols. One is hidden in each land (they stand out with colors and sparkles) for you to photograph. Decode your symbols to the wizard and you won’t only be going home with pumpkin-filled memories (and a LOT of Instagrams), you’ll be winning a prize, too.
Pumpkin Nights, which opens Wednesday, Oct. 17, at 5:30 p.m., is an immersive Halloween-themed experience that has now made the Denver area one of its four home bases for 18 days (others are in California and Utah).
The family-friendly experience is a half-mile outdoor walking tour through eight different lands brought to life by lights, special effects and the wizard’s challenge. (Try not to dwell too much on those fairground pheromones.)
The Instagram-worthy moments start right away in the Pumpkin Passage, a tunnel lined with 600 hand-carved foam jack-o’-lanterns with 9-foot-tall Jack-o-lynn and her smiling grin waiting for you at the end.
From there, you will meet turtles and a 40-foot, smoke-breathing dragon in the Forbidden Pumpkin City; explore a land of sugar skulls in Maryville Lane; head right into the Pumpkin Reef (this UV-lit playground, complete with a giant octopus, was a favorite among the children); and adventure your way through Pirate Cove before you hit the creeptastic Spider Alley.
Have you been collecting your symbols? Just checking.
Then, to the joy of Harry Potter fans everywhere, the Great Hall features what seem to be floating pumpkins that lead you to a live owl meet-and-greet.
You will finish your walking tour with the Monster Mash, a pumpkin playground with seesaws big enough to send kids of all ages into flight. Keep your eyes peeled: This is where you will find the wizard to claim your hard-earned prize.
The outing wraps up at Pumpkin Central, where grownups can find boozy seasonal beverages and all can meet pumpkin artists carving giant pumpkins live (there is a 500-pound pumpkin on the grounds). There are even fire dancers: fire hula-hoopers, jump-ropers and sword-fighters. (You can pick your jaw up off the ground on the way out.) Be sure to dress warm and maybe bring something to sit on, since the viewing bleachers can get very cold.
Pumpkin Nights, Oct. 17-Nov. 4 from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. (closed on Halloween). Adams County Fair and Regional Park Complex, 9755 Henderson Road, Brighton. General admission tickets $20, $16 for seniors and for ages 4-12. Children 3 and under are free. A family pack with two general admission and two kids tickets available for $60. And working late works in your favor for once: Night Owl specials are available after 8 p.m. Tickets are sold for specific dates and times. pumpkinnights.com
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