(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A show that ought to excite Linus, Charlie Brown, and “Great Pumpkin” seekers everywhere opens in Lake Zurich on Sept. 30: It’s Jack O’Lantern World.
The main draw, of course, are pumpkins — thousands of them. This year, lead artist Peter Starykowicz said those hand-carved jack-o-lanterns will draw inspiration from all over the world.
“We got a 25-foot-tall Eiffel Tower made of pumpkins,” Starykowicz said. “We got a big Egyptian pyramid [and] things along those lines that give it that around the world sort of feel.”
Jack O’Lantern World features a mix of faux and real pumpkins. The fake ones, Starykowicz said, allow his team of over 50 artisans, designers, architects, carpenters, and event planners to construct the show’s largest installations. In 2021 they had a 45-foot-long dragon.
Starykowicz said the real pumpkins, though, are re-carved on a weekly basis to maintain quality. Paid artists spend up to 30 hours on the most detailed carvings. Portraits of Oprah, Drake, Beyoncé, and other pop culture icons were among the subject’s on last year’s pumpkins.
“You look to the right, you look to the left, you look up, you look down — there’s just jack-o-lanterns everywhere,” Starykowicz said. “Everywhere you point your phone, you’re looking at hundreds and hundreds of jack-o-lanterns.”
All told, he said the team — with Chicago-based All Community Events — has been working on the 2022 show since March. The entire project spans three quarters of a mile, through which attendees walk through and take in the experience.
“If you want to celebrate Halloween, and you’re not trick-or-treating, the only other thing to do is go to a haunted house,” he said. “I got four kids, 9 years old and younger. None of them are going to go to a haunted house.”
All Community Events limits the amount of people who can view the show at one time, and tickets are available right now. Starykowicz said they sold thousands of tickets in their first few days. Tickets are $20 – $24 for anyone over 13 years old, and $15 for kids aged 3 – 12.
“If you saw it last year, you’re going to see a totally new show this year,” Starykowicz said. “We’re just working our absolute hardest to make this a tradition.”
Attendees are encouraged to donate to Susan G. Komen, a partner of the show.
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