When it comes to fall, I’m no different from any #basicwhitegirl, I love me some pumpkins! Pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin scones, pumpkin lip balm, and yes carving pumpkins. Every year my husband and our daughters get super creative and create a pumpkin masterpieces. We recently moved to Nashville, TN and are amazed with the Nashvillians’ love of fall. There are festivals and decorations galore, one of those being The Glow.
Folks, get ready to be absolutely stunned! A 16-foot-tall dinosaur and Ferris wheel carved out of pumpkins. Yes, you read that right! Billy Bywater is the artistic director and master carver of The Glow. When Bill isn’t carving pumpkins, he enjoys carving ice sculptures and competes in ice carving competitions around the country.
The Glow features an enchanting and unforgettable wonderland of more than 5,000 hand carved, illuminated pumpkins transformed into beautiful landscapes, iconic figures and larger than life structures. The exhibit is showcased in Washington D.C., Nashville, TN, and Philadelphia, PA.
“The idea of bringing a unique family friendly experience to celebrate fall and Halloween has always been appealing. From the artistic side of things, there are actually several different ways to make a pumpkin a piece of art which is truly exciting for us,” shared Bill. “You can sculpt a pumpkin, paint a pumpkin, and carve a pumpkin and group pumpkins together to make an entire scene, like our motorcycle pumpkins. Many of the artists who join The Glow team have the ability to draw, paint, illustrate and carve so each scene and each pumpkin looks truly unique.”
Attendees can stroll down Jack’s Lane, a 1/3 of a mile jack o’ lantern trail where they’ll get to experience everything from intricately detailed single pumpkin carvings to amazing scenes created by talented artists. The question Bill and the team always get is whether or not the event is spooky. It’s 100% not! In fact, your favorite movie stars, superheroes and even some princesses come to life through the jack o’ lantern magic.
Curious about creating your own glow works of art? “Keep the stem on the pumpkin! Don't cut around it and remove it to clean the guts and seeds out. Make the hole in the back, about the size of softball. Put a 600 Lumen LED bulb in an outdoor light fixture in through the back for a brighter candle free option. And then use the clay loop tools to partially cut through the pumpkin,” said Bill. “The deeper the cut, the brighter the glow, but with this amount of glow from inside, you won't want to carve all the way through. The addition of ink and paint can really help make your jack o' lantern stand out too.”
Whether you’re a master pumpkin carver or not, The Glow is a wonderful fall experience and is a guaranteed night of fun for the entire family.