Rise of the Jack-O-Lanterns

If you've ever visited my blog during the fall, you know I love... love love love... love pumpkin carving. I have watched and rewatched Pumpkin Wars and Halloween Wars on Food Network. I keep a gallery of my annual pumpkin carvings up all year round. In my first year of blogging, I even did a Pumpkin Carving Week. It's an obsession and I'm okay with that. So when an advertisement for Rise of the Jack-O-Lanterns at San Diego Zoo Safari Park popped up on Facebook, I didn't think twice about buying tickets. They advertise that there are over 5,000 carved pumpkins. FIVE THOUSAND. I just had to see what magical creations they had.

I was not disappointed. Much to my surprise, there were not just Jack-O-Lanterns. There were full carved pumpkin sculptures. I was in awe of these fantastic creations. And before you jump into the pictures to be amazed, let me answer the number one question that was on everyone's minds...

Rise of the Jack-O-Lanterns runs for the full month of October. How do they keep the pumpkins from rotting?

My group came up with a number of theories from preservatives and coating them in wax. We were wrong. They don't do anything to keep the pumpkins perfect all month long. As their website states, "Each week [they] have to replace deceased jack o'lanterns with fresh ones. That's a lot of recarving!"

Yes, it is! Especially when you take in these awesome creations...

So much inspiration! I can't wait to get my hands on more pumpkins!