Pumpkin Nights is an amazing journey through a land of over 3,000 carved pumpkins and is absolutely magical, but before I talk about everything you need to know I just want to give some credit to JUICEBOX TONY for taking all of these incredible photos. I didn’t take a single one!

I’ve mentioned it before and I’ll mention it again- there are perks to having a husband that likes to use a camera 🙂

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend (or any day until Nov. 5!) be sure to check this place out. We hit up Pumpkin Nights last weekend and it was such a good experience for our whole family.  Here is what you definitely need to keep in mind going in:

It. Is. COLD.

Seriously, bring a jacket. Is it just me or does it feel colder this year than normal?

Make time for the Spirit of the Pumpkin show. 

This year featured a group of fire dancers and they were incredibly talented, the performance was beautiful and watching it at night at the show was pretty much magic. They host the show in the middle of the courtyard before you start the pumpkin journey, it’s kind of roped off so you know the section. The show runs about every 45 minutes so be sure to jot down the times and stick around for one of them!

Don’t pay full price! 

There are so many ways to get discount tickets! The regular full price is $20 per adult and $16 per kid. If you go at 8pm or later, the price is cut by 30% so you save a chunk of change by being a night owl. If you can’t do the later price, I have seen several options to purchase the tickets on Groupon or you can sign up for their mailing list because they have been sending regular coupons through email as well. There are easy ways to save money on tickets so definitely take advantage!

There are tons of photo ops!

The great thing about these photo ops is that they’ve got a ring light set up so your photos actually come out bright, and in the more popular locations there is an attendant there to help take your photos for you. You just hand them your phone with the camera ready, pose, and VOILA!

The buried treasure thing is harder than it looks

There were a ton of kids looking for the buried treasure and at least when we were there, lots of fights happened about who had the shovels for too long. It’s a fun idea but definitely if it’s busy, I’d say skip it or direct your kids’ attention elsewhere. It was the only thing I didn’t love. It was so crazy that Tony ended up just sneaking a token out of the bucket from the attendant and throwing it in front of Sydney so she could “find” it- she didn’t catch him so it totally worked and we finally got out of there.

Park at the back of the lot (if the entrance is the front, park at the back by the stadium)

I didn’t really understand where the event was taking place (it’s just on the fair grounds north of the stadium) and I parked soooo far away because I thought it was on the other side. Oops. At least I got my steps in, right?

You can get Butterbeer and the most amazing kettle corn…. and a bunch of other stuff

They have some fun vendors and food trucks set up, but I was most excited about the butterbeer. I’ll be honest, I didn’t try any because I’m headed to Orlando next month and want my first one to be legit from Harry Potter world, but otherwise I totally would have, I heard great things.

It’s family friendly and not scary

If you’re expecting a haunted house, this isn’t the place for you. While there is a spooky kind of vibe in some of the pumpkin areas, it felt more like a magical halloween (like the magic of Christmas lights almost) exhibit. It’s not scary at all so it’s great for families and young kids as well. If you go at night, it IS dark and there are a lot of bright lights so if that is alarming to your kids, just be aware that you’ll need to do some extra hand holding.

Overall, Pumpkin Nights was such a fun family activity and it’s definitely something to add to your fall/halloween bucket list this year! Below is a quick video of our experience, be sure to watch it if you want a little preview before your adventure! Visit Pumpkin Nights online to learn more and buy tickets!

XXOO Sunny