Night of 1,000 Jack-O’-Lanterns
How to get out of the house and start living!
I have attended the Night of 1,000 Jack O’ Lanterns at Chicago Botanic Gardens the past 3 years and have never been disappointed. If you are ever in the Chicago area around this time, you must find a way to attend this event. The event sells out quickly every year, so I placed it on my calendar in August to constantly check their website to see if ticket sales opened up.
We got in for a Friday night appointment. Masks are required indoors due to transmission rates. However, outdoors, you are free to mask or unmask as you are comfortable with. When we came in off the highway, there were highways signs stating the event was sold-out.
I have always loved art and this event showcases several amazing artists that I will link to from this article. As we entered, we were greeted by these banners.
To create atmosphere, Botanic had actors in Halloween-themed costumes such as this man on stilts. He was scarier than he seemed!
To give some context, Botanic Gardens is a gorgeous, public park that is available to the public for free. A trail was set-up with pumpkins and other Halloween-themed items. For art lovers, the pumpkins were carved by professional artists.
Artists were set-up in cozy booths along the path to give people an appreciation of the artistry involved in creating these works or art. And, yes, they are art. Here is artist Stephen Junceau.
This was my favorite pumpkin of the whole evening.
I love the appearance of the moon in the sky during the Fall solstice.
These two artists were wonderful. This style of carving was a bit different than the other pumpkins on the trail which had some ink applied to achieve the black cover. I was informed that each one of these pumpkins took approximately 14 hours to complete.
Life Lessons Learned
Life is transient. Fall marks the turning of the seasons. It is best to live in the present moment. Even while my significant other and I were at the event, I was experiencing joy. And, I had to remind myself that this was exactly what I should be feeling. During this time of year, go online and find some local events that you can do with family, friends or by yourself. Life is meant to be lived in the real world! We spend so much time in front of a computer or smartphone screen, that we sometimes have to commit to getting out of the house and just do anything.
If you were not able to attend a Halloween event this year, I hope that this posting gives you a way to experience the holiday. What are some of hour holiday traditions? What seasonal festivals do you recommend in your hometown?
