LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- More than a dozen artists and carvers are hard at work as Iroquois Park transforms for the annual Jack O'Lantern Spectacular.
Alene Day is one of 15 carvers who work on intricate pumpkins creating one-of-a-kind jack-o'-lanterns.
Day has carved over 20 pumpkins so far this year but says she will likely create over 60 by the time the show is over.
"There are 115 on the trail, so each round there will be 115 pumpkins. We do predict we'll do three or four rounds," said Day.
In addition to the intricate pumpkins, there are thousands of other simpler jack-o'-lanterns carved that will line the trail for added decoration.
More than a dozen artists and pumpkin carvers are hard at work as Iroquois Park transforms for the annual Jack O'Lantern Spectacular. Sept. 26, 2021
"It's all hands on deck, especially these opening couple of weeks, all the time. So whoever needs to jump in, do whatever we need to do to get the trail looking fabulous, we all can jump around," said Day.
It takes the artists hours to create a single pumpkin, but Day says the theme this year, "Changing the Channel: A Timeline of Television," is providing a bit more laughter than normal.
More than a dozen artists and pumpkin carvers are hard at work as Iroquois Park transforms for the annual Jack O'Lantern Spectacular. Sept. 26, 2021
"I love how much humor is in this year's trail with the theme, people are putting inside jokes on shows and you know people are going to love that so much. Maybe some people won't get it, but that's okay because the people that will get it will so appreciate it," said Day.
Day says one of her favorite pumpkins this year is one she carved of Seinfeld character George Costanza.
As an intricate artist, Day spends several hours sketching her design before removing the pumpkin's pulp and carving her image from the inside out, to modify the amount of light that will shine through the shell.
"Nothing goes all the way through, it's all gutted from behind and scraped," said Day. "You can make parts glow brighter by scraping more from behind."
Day started carving pumpkins over six years go and uses a variety of tools, including bobby pins and her grandfather's knife, to help create her masterpieces.
"I used to work days on a pumpkin and now, when I don't get a pumpkin done in a day, I feel like I'm behind," said Day. "Honestly after a while, you start to see the pumpkin that's going to work best with your image. It's kind of like pumpkin whispering we like to say."
Day is no stranger to the arts or to the park. The carver earned her art degree in Tennessee before working in the music industry, helping with shows at Iroquois Amphitheater.
"I would meet a lot of famous people and people would say, 'You have the coolest job,'" said Day. "I would say, "This isn't even my coolest job! I'm a professional pumpkin carver. That's my coolest job!"
To fit the theme, the trail this year is divided into decades, starting with the Golden Age and working up to the modern era of television and streaming services, like Netflix and HBO.
With each decade, there are different shows that will be included. As the month-long spectacular goes on and pumpkins start to rot, other pumpkins, carved by different artists, replace them.
More than a dozen artists and pumpkin carvers are hard at work as Iroquois Park transforms for the annual Jack O'Lantern Spectacular. Sept. 26, 2021
"We are doing so many different TV shows and scenes and references so honestly, you can walk the trail one time, come ten days later and you'll see almost a whole different trail," said Day.
Even though it takes hours to create the intricate displays, the pumpkins themselves are susceptible to the elements and will normally only last seven to 10 days before needing to be replaced.
"I think it's actually part of the joy of it, that it's temporary," said Day. "Some of us do our best work on these pumpkins because the pressure is not there, they are not going to last forever. In two weeks they're going to be in a dumpster and there's something that's kind of beautiful about it."
Day says it's not unusual to make a mistake but when working with a pumpkin, you learn to adapt and go with the flow to still create a work of art.
No matter if she's working on something inspired by punk-rock, a cartoon character or even a Brood-X cicada, Day says she finds joy in each passing moment she spends inside the pumpkin barn and is ready to welcome the community back to the trail.
"That was a bummer with the drive-thru for us artists is that we couldn't walk the trail or watch and hear people react to the pumpkins. I remember the first time, I stepped on the trail and I was about 15 yards up and a kid behind me was just coming in and he said, 'This is the best thing ever,' and you know, that's just the best thing to hear,'" said Day.
IMAGES | Pumpkins being carved for 2021 Jack O'Lantern Spectacular
More than a dozen artists and pumpkin carvers are hard at work as Iroquois Park transforms for the annual Jack O'Lantern Spectacular. Sept. 26, 2021
The 9th Annual Jack O'Lantern Spectacular returns Sept. 30 and runs through Halloween.
The trail opens every night at dusk and closes at 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday. Organizers do expect several days to sell out and purchasing tickets ahead of time is strongly recommended.
To purchase tickets for this year's event, click here.
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