Pleasant weather, autumn foliage and vibrant flowers are among the many delights awaiting nature lovers at botanical gardens and arboretums across the United States. However, some of these green spaces take on additional color this month and through Halloween when enterprising gardeners, landscape architects, management and other creative minds cast a spell with themed environments running the gamut from spooky to utterly bewitching.
© Decanso Gardens
The annual Halloween spectacle is one of the Los Angeles area’s most beloved seasonal attractions, and this year’s Carved! promises to be no exception. Between Oct. 6 and 29, the garden becomes a bewitching pumpkin wonderland improved with a new walking route and more displays, including illuminated jack-o’-lanterns, fallen tree sculptures and whimsical installations such as Lien Dekyvere’s glow-in-the-dark Rhizome in the Rose Garden Labyrinth and giant carved pumpkins under the Rose Pavilion. There is also an expanded Día de los Muertos ofrenda altar, where visitors can meditate and remember loved ones. The pumpkin house, hay maze and fall food offerings return to round out the fun.
Fest-of-Ale at the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s
This year’s edition of the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Fest-of-Ale on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 28, 5–8 p.m., showcases eerie creations by local artists, crafters, youth groups and more. The evenings will be further enhanced with live performances from local bands, roving entertainment for all ages, festive treats and a beer garden with a spirited offering of craft beers. The festival concludes spectacularly with an epic pumpkin-carve contest spotlighting the city’s most talented pumpkin-loving Garden members and friends.
© Decanso Gardens
Glow at the Gardens at The Denver Botanic Gardens
The Denver Botanic Gardens conjures up its annual “luminous nocturnal celebration of America’s favorite gourd.” Between Oct. 17 and 22, 6–9 p.m., the walkways of the lushly spooky gardens are lined and enlivened with larger-than-life pumpkin sculptures, spooky live entertainment and hordes of gourds with thousands of jack-o’-lanterns made from real, locally grown pumpkins.
The Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns at the Chicago Botanic Gardens
The Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns adds an extra thrill to the vibrant midwestern foliage on the grounds of the Chicago Botanic Gardens, Oct. 11–15 and 18–22. Between 6:30 and 10:30 p.m., artist-carved pumpkins light up the garden’s paths after dark, while costumed entertainers and live carving demos further enliven the trail. Seasonal food and beverages will also be available for purchase.
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