Minnesota Zoo's Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular is Back this Fall

It's coming up to the end of summer but that means my favorite season is upon us: fall! Fall means spooky Halloween fun and also a very popular event at the Minnesota Zoo. The zoo's Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular is back!

I just saw the announcement on the zoo's Facebook page this morning that the event is back and I'm pretty pumped. If you've never been then this is your year to check it out. It's lots of fun and the carvings on the pumpkins are super impressive.

Minnesota Zoo Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular 2023

I believe the Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular started either in 2020 or 2021. I remember going when the event first started and it was amazing so I would highly recommend it.

Carly Ross, TSM

There are literally THOUSANDS of jack-o-lanterns at this event. They're stacked on each other, up in the trees. So many pumpkins! Lots of them are your classic goofy or spooky-faced jack-o-lanterns but there are some carved by pros that are seriously impressive. I don't know how they do it.

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular - Minnesota Zoo

The Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular for this year is kicking off on September 30th and will run until November 4th. Tickets don't go on sale until September 8th, so write that on a post it, set a reminder on your phone or something so you don't forget to get your tickets.

It also seems to me that the theme of this year's spectacular is the Minnesota outdoors. In the zoo's Facebook post announcing the return of the event, they say "Experience the glow of over 5,000 pumpkins lighting up the night as they guide you on a journey showcasing the four seasons of Minnesota's great outdoors."

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