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Pumpkinferno – An Autumn Delight

By //  by Candace Sampson 15 Comments

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I first visited Pumpkinferno at Upper Canada Village in 2013, in its second year of operation. Much like my children at the time, it was but a baby. My how the times change. Now in its 7th year, this traditional fall celebration of orange gourds is only getting better and better. If you’re looking for a non-spooky, fun outing with your family each fall, then Pumpkinferno is the perfect evening out. What follows is my original article, thankfully the information remains completely relevant, only I’m a little outdated now!

Pumpkinferno
Wait, the last time I was at Pumpkinferno she was only 10! Yikes!

Visiting Pumpkinferno with Your Family

I learned something new while attending Pumpkinferno at Upper Canada Village. What little tidbit did I pick up while marvelling at 6000 hand-carved pumpkins? Lean close, here it is — don’t ignore your children’s school field trips. That’s it. That’s the wisdom I gleaned from this most delightful Autumn event. You see, my children have each been twice to Upper Canada Village for school field trips and four times I have found an excuse to decline. I am nothing if not a fair parent. I am also a little sad I dismissed the chance so quickly, because if the opportunity should present itself again, I’m in.

pumpkinferno
One of the historic buildings at Upper Canada Village

I’m a living history fool, so Upper Canada Village immediately spoke to me upon entering through the front gate. I could feel it’s charm working on me and I knew I would want more. I wasn’t here for the history this time though. I was here for Pumpkinferno, a wildly successful event that is drawing visitors from near and far. In its first year in 2012, Pumpkinferno drew a staggering 35,000 attendees in nineteen days. If the people that were there when I attended were any indication of its success, they will blow that out of the water this year. And it is no wonder why. This isn’t just a bunch of Jack O’ Lanterns after all, this is art.

Pumpkinferno

Drawing from a pool of extremely talented and creative youth (the Creative Director is 22), Pumpkinferno doesn’t have a boring display in sight. Whimsy is everywhere, from the incredible dragon displayed over water to the Under the Sea motif (complete with mermaids and scuba divers), to the Egyptian Pharoah to the Word Search which stops everyone in it’s tracks (hint: search for the random word).

pumpkinferno

I don’t know about you, but it takes me one full day to carve a pumpkin that is embarrassingly rudimentary. So, how long does it take to carve six thousand? Well consider this, when you’re pulling out your patio furniture in May, they’ve already been carving pumpkins for a couple of weeks. Quite obviously then, these pumpkins are not real, but rather molds of pumpkins made from foam. That does not change the most impressive fact about all of this — each one is painstakingly hand carved.

pumpkinferno

The piece de resistance this year has to be The House of Horoscopes, featuring 1000 carved pumpkins displaying the signs of the zodiac in a stunning overhead environment. Ooohs and aaaahs abound under this 14 foot high canopy.

pumpkinferno

Pumpkinferno is the most delightful thing to happen to fall since Thanksgiving in my humble opinion. It offers a perfect family outing for all age groups, keeping the season’s typical scare fare to a minimum and the entertainment factor on high. Plan on attending a little earlier and having dinner at Willard’s Hotel. I fell in love with the Chicken Pot Pie and Apple Rhubarb Crumble—comfort food at it’s finest. There are also quick dining options available at the Village Cafe or the Food Truck. Don’t miss stopping in at the store on the way out to get some homemade bread, made on site, from the hand milled flour, also made on site. And for those with a sweet tooth, a candy shop awaits you for treats on the way home.

pumpkinferno

On the way back to our car my kids asked me if we could come back next year to Pumpkinferno. “Absolutely!”, I said, adding, “Do you happen to know when your next field trip is?”

New Pumpkinferno Installments 2019

This year, Pumpkinferno has 7000 pumpkins on display with everything from dogs to trains to superheroes.

Pumpkinferno
Who’s a Good Boy?
Pumpkinferno
You call me a witch like it’s a bad thing?
Pumpkinferno 2019 pumpkin installment
Peace, Love, and Pumpkins
Pumpkinferno Under the Sea
I really need to up my pumpkin carving game
Clowning around at Pumpkinferno

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Filed Under: Ontario, Travel, Uncategorized Tagged With: amazing pumpkin carvings, celebrate pumpkins, fall travel, family travel, places to see pumpkin carvings, Pumpkinferno, Upper Canada Village

About Candace Sampson

Candace is founder and editor-in-chief of Life in Pleasantville which isn't half as fancy as it sounds. You can find her sharing travel stories on What She Said Radio and on CTV Ottawa Morning Live.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Patty

    October 15, 2013 at 7:52 pm

    Oh wow! This is definitely going to be on my to do list with the kids. Do you happen to know when it ends?

    Reply
    • Candace Derickx

      October 18, 2013 at 1:12 pm

      Hi Patty, It ends November 2nd 🙂

      Reply
  2. paula schuck

    October 15, 2013 at 8:00 pm

    Pumpkinferno?!! Love it. That is such an incredible display. There are days I do wish I lived in Ottawa!

    Reply
    • Candace Derickx

      October 18, 2013 at 1:13 pm

      It is really incredible. Not what I was expecting at all, so that makes it even better!

      Reply
  3. Our Family World

    October 15, 2013 at 8:29 pm

    Love that! That’s on my to do list too

    Reply
    • Candace Derickx

      October 18, 2013 at 1:13 pm

      You’re so close Olfa you should make a point of it. It’s amazing.

      Reply
  4. Kathryn

    October 15, 2013 at 8:38 pm

    Oh I LOVE it! I actually carve pretty darn awesome pumpkins, but nothing to compare to this! <3 Incredible!

    Reply
    • Candace Derickx

      October 18, 2013 at 1:14 pm

      I would end up in tears if I tried to carve just one of these LOL

      Reply
  5. Pam Young

    October 15, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    Oh wow! What an amazing site that would be, thank you for sharing through your post.

    Reply
    • Candace Derickx

      October 18, 2013 at 1:14 pm

      Thanks for reading Pam.

      Reply
  6. Stephanie @ Spaceships and Laser Beams

    October 15, 2013 at 10:02 pm

    Wow. That is some serious talent on display. I’m trying to convince my son that we should just paint our pumpkin because I am so terrible at carving.

    Reply
    • Candace Derickx

      October 18, 2013 at 1:15 pm

      So funny. I’d just as soon paint mine too!

      Reply
  7. coffeewithjulie

    October 16, 2013 at 5:05 pm

    WOW! I had no idea this existed! I need to take my kids to see it. Looks so awesome. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Candace Derickx

      October 18, 2013 at 1:15 pm

      Julie you would love it!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 5 Best Reasons for Fall Family Travel - Life In Pleasantville says:
    August 22, 2015 at 11:35 pm

    […] be enjoyable. If you’re lucky enough to live in Eastern Ontario, don’t miss the amazing Pumpkinferno or Fort […]

    Reply

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