Sharpen your knives and touch up on your sketching skills in preparation to create your best jack-o’-lantern yet. The Arboretum will host its eighth annual Pumpkin Festival Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20, complete with a huge jack-o’-lantern display scattered across its grounds.

For an all in good fun competition, jack-o’-lanterns will be judged starting Friday night based on their theme and creativity. Per tradition, ribbons will be awarded to pumpkins in each of the seven age groups in categories like “Best in Show,” “Best Penn State Theme,” and “Best Pop Culture Theme.”

The Halloween fun continues Saturday with food vendors and local entertainment, including the Nittany Valley Wranglers, featured on the Arboretum’s grounds until 9 p.m. Jack-o’-lanterns will remain on full display.

Anyone interested in participating can carve their own pumpkins and bring them to the festival to be judged. Regardless of your pumpkin-carving expertise, the Arboretum’s Pumpkin Festival is annually a spooky good time for all.

You can find more specifics on Friday’s contest as well as a full schedule of Saturday’s events on the Arboretum’s website.

About the Author

Matt DiSanto

Matt proudly served as Onward State’s managing editor for two years until graduating from Penn State in May 2022. Now, he’s off in the real world doing real things. Send him an email (mattdisanto86@gmail.com) or follow him on Twitter (@mattdisanto_) to stay in touch.

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