Bill visits the Boston edition of 2016’s Rise of the Jack O’Lanterns pumpkin carving exhibition.
Happy Halloween ghouls and force ghosts! This year at the Boston World Trade Center, Rise of the Jack O’Lanterns presented a seemingly endless gallery of intricately carved pumpkin engravings. Bill had a chance to check it out and shoot some photos of the pumpkins.
Rise of the Jack O’Lanterns
A spooky-fun experience, the darkened convention hall had row upon row of glowing engraved pumpkin artwork. Music played in each section to match the mood of the carvings. From classic horror to modern pop culture, there was a pumpkin for every fan. The Wolf Man, Beetlejuice, Captain America, The Little Mermaid, Wonder Woman, Darth Vader, Yoda, Kylo Ren, Rey, Finn, Chewbacca, Nancy Reagan, you name it and it was there.
I did, however, have two complaints. First, the lighting was so dark that I kept losing track of my wife and daughter. And the smell of hundreds of rotting pumpkins indoors was not the most pleasant aroma.
Star Wars
By far Star Wars represented the most popular theme. Not only were there at least a handful of single jack o’lanterns from the galaxy far far away, but there were also scores of gourds used in elaborate multi-pumpkin Star Wars displays.
Other Themes
Other interesting sections included an area for the recently deceased, with dedications to David Bowie, Prince, Nancy Reagan, and Alan Rickman; an aisle with children’s’ favorites, from Charlie Brown to Finding Nemo; clusters of Tim Burton-themed engravings; local sports heroes David Ortiz, Tom Brady, and Tukka Rask; and wildlife like lions and dinosaurs. But easily the highlight of the show was a dragon made from over a hundred carved pumpkins.
I enjoyed this event, and will likely bring my family again next year.
Enjoy the photos, and don’t forget to look me up @LostStarWars on Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit.
The Great Pumpkin Gallery
Born in 1976, Bill Drewnowski grew up surrounded by Star Wars, the likely reason for his love of a great story. Now a father living in New England, Bill teaches high school English, including courses in science fiction and fantasy. Bill enjoys collecting books, posters, action figures, trading cards (including a huge Magic the Gathering obsession), and of course all things Star Wars. His favorite book is Moby Dick by Herman Melville. You can follow Bill on Twitter @DorkLair and Instagram @TheDorkLair.