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AWESOME ORANGE PUMPKIN FESTIVALS HAPPENING NOW!

Courtesy of Historic Hudson Valley. Dragon Pumpkin Sculpture. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze.

While it’s not that hard to find cool jack o’lanterns this time of year, being who we are, we were on a mission to find the most BEAUTIFUL ones happening right now. That was trickier! But… we scored!

We found two spectacular pumpkin festivals that feature incredible beautiful and clever carvings. Check them out below… and, if you can, go see them in person!

THE GREAT JACK O’LANTERN BLAZE

Walk through a covered bridge, encrusted with hundreds of carved pumpkins into a historic 18th century landscape where Washington Irving’s Headless Horseman once rode in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

It’s a beautiful spot to see more than 5,000 gorgeous hand-carved jack o’lanterns in a magnificent display.

The Great Blaze is an annual festival that lasts as long as the pumpkins do - 28 days -- before they rot away in a Halloweeny kind of way.

Feast on a special 10th anniversary pumpkin cake as you watch tumbling acrobatics and circus characters. Check out the springy gourd-filled Jack-in-the-Boxes, giant insects, lizards, and dinosaurs, all carved from the glorious orange orbs.

Your beautiful black and orange evening will be enhanced by elaborate synchronized sound effects and lighting. Check out the all-original soundtrack by recording artist Richard Christy.

The Great Blaze Festival is on now through November 16, 2014.

Many photos featured here are courtesy of Joshua Bousel (via the Instagram Blog).

THE RISE OF THE JACK O’LANTERNS FESTIVAL

The RISE of the Jack-o'-Lanterns in Westbury, New York and in Los Angeles, California, are meccas for some of the coolest, most beautiful carved pumpkins you will ever see. And not just a few either. You will be totally blown away by more than 5,000 exquisitely carved pumpkins at each location.

It’s a surreal experience and you stroll along a quarter-mile long trail, past dinosaurs, jellyfish, monuments, schools of fish, and other wonders, all made out of ordinary orange pumpkins.

The pumpkins, which are hollowed out, are lit from within, to make this spectacle particularly fabulous to behold at night.

Some of these sculptures take over 20 hours to complete.

This year, you will see an orange pumpkin re-creation of the New York City Skyline, favorite celebrities and even more.

The main event usually sells out, so hurry to get your tickets, but many of the artists continue to carve pumpkins for several weeks, replacing the original creations as they rot, so you can still see them before winter sets in.

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Orange in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 11.02.14. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photo: Courtesy of Historic Hudson Valley. Dragon Pumpkin Sculpture. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze.
Photo: Courtesy of Historic Hudson Valley. Abstract Pumpkin Sculpture. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze.
Photo: by Joshua Bousel. Dinosaur Pumpkin Sculptures. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze.
Photo: by Joshua Bousel. Big Ben Pumpkin Sculpture. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze.
Photo: by Joshua Bousel. Jack O’Lantern Covered Bridge. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze.
Photo: by Joshua Bousel. Dinosaur Pumpkin Sculptures. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze.
Photo: Courtesy of RISE. Pumpkin Jellyfish. The Rise of the Jack O’Lantern Festival.
Photo: Courtesy of RISE. Sea of Pumpkin Fish. The Rise of the Jack O’Lantern Festival.
Photo: Courtesy of RISE. Snake Pumpkin Sculpture. Rise of the Jack O’Lantern Festival.
Photo: Courtesy of RISE. Pumpkin Triceratops. The Rise of the Jack O’Lantern Festival.
Photo: Courtesy of RISE. Carved pumpkin sculptures. The Rise of the Jack O’Lantern Festival.
Photo: Courtesy of RISE. Pumpkins carved into letters and faces. The Rise of the Jack O’Lantern Festival.