This time of year, we’ve got pumpkin not only on the brain, but also on the palate – pumpkin pie, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin spice Twinkies, pumpkin pie Kit Kats, you name it. It seems like just about everyone these days can’t get enough of pumpkins.
We also know we can’t get enough of the pumpkin patch Ryan Hughes constructed at his Glen Ridge, New Jersey, home. This visual feast is decidedly pumpkin forward, and we understand exactly why his neighbors have devoured it up.
Ryan has been creating this visually stunning pumpkin patch for the past 10 years, carving a few new jack-o’-lanterns each year. (He carves them out of artificial pumpkins, so he can re-use them year after year.) Once carved, he mounts the pumpkins on garden stakes, which are decorated like corn stalks. He illuminates the carved interiors with LED lights. Of course, there’s also great exterior lighting and sometimes he’ll even run a fog machine. His yard is simply stunning.
This year Ryan added the AtmosFX Decorations Jack-O’-Lantern Jamboree and its sequel, Jack-O’-Lantern Jamboree 2, into the mix. Needless to say, they fit right in. He built a waterproof projector enclosure for the display, and deployed an FM transmitter so people can hear the loquacious gourds sing and tell jokes from their cars.
And while Ryan’s pumpkin patch was already a major community draw, the AtmosFX Decorations have attracted some regular visitors. “Parents bring their kids each and every night to sit and watch the show after dinner, before bedtime,” Ryan says. “We hear beeps and cheers from the road as we’re having our dinner or just pulling into the driveway.”
As much as his Halloween pumpkin patch is a draw unto itself, the thing Ryan really appreciates is the community it builds. Each season, as he is setting up his display, he says people stop by to say hello – even help.
“Last year a woman who we had never met before told us that she had been watching our installation go up year after year, and that she had always wanted to be a part of it, knowing how much joy it brings people,” Ryan tells us. “She stopped her walk, asked for some instructions and a pair of gloves, and got down to help us tie on the corn stalks.
“It just shows what a wonderful and warm community we do this in,” Ryan adds.
That’s what Halloween is all about, Ryan! We love your enthusiasm and creativity!
Have you sent us photos and videos of your Halloween decoration display? If not, make sure to do so – it is a great way to exchange ideas, learn new things, and inspire others. Use this easy submission form right here!
