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The GLOW DC has become one of our favorite family Halloween traditions! A well carved pumpkin is one thing, but groups of pumpkins carved to create iconic figures, landscapes or larger than life structures creates a Jack O’Lantern wonderland. We try to go early in the season because it lights the Halloween spirit in our little ones. We can talk about Halloween, pumpkins and costumes as much as we want, but there is nothing like the excitement of going to the GLOW for an evening. They come away from the experience excited about carving our pumpkins, wanting to experiment with new ways to decorate pumpkins and really excited for Halloween. For us, the GLOW has enough of the spooky Halloween aspects without being scary so that it doesn’t feel like just a kids Halloween event.
The popularity of the GLOW is growing so it is very busy! The staff do a great job of clearly marking lines and making it a pleasant wait, but there are tons of people on Jack’s Lane no matter when you go! The reception area is where you wait to get in, but also where you return after so there are plenty of chances to purchase the food, treats and souvenirs for sale. The food vendors are food trucks ranging from Filipino cuisine to burgers, hot dogs and french fries. There are enough choices to keep young and old eaters satisfied.
Once you are in there is an opportunity to take a souvenir picture. After pictures the path winds toward’s the beginning of Jack’s Lane where you enter an Prehistoric wonderland. My children were amazed by the details, shouting out all the different dinosaurs they could find. New this year is the Hogwarts Express along with several Harry Potter characters and scenes. We also saw the Three Little Pigs, a glowing Garden, magical creatures of Dr. Seuss, Dragons, a Graveyard, Skeleton Biker Gang, Outer Space, UFO with Extra Terrestrials, Portraits, Musicians and the Grand Finale.
The portraits are show stoppers! The details are so intricate and lifelike it’s hard to believe they are carved pumpkins. Last year we learned that the portrait pumpkins are made from styrofoam pumpkins using dremel tools to achieve the fine detail. It makes sense that not all of the pumpkins would be live since there is not enough time to carve all the pumpkins before they start to deteriorate. We heard some guests who were disappointed by this, but there a ton of live pumpkins carved on display. We also feel the scale of the pumpkin art is what sets it apart from other jack o’lantern walks in the area.
The Grand Finale is live pumpkin carving by master carvers and the ‘Pumpkin Patch’. The ‘Pumpkin Patch’ is a hill filled with jack o’ lanterns complete with four talking and singing pumpkins! The talking pumpkins are created with a custom projection and programed lights. We all really enjoy this area and just like last year, stayed for about 30 minutes watching the ‘Pumpkin Patch’ performance and exploring the pumpkin carving demonstrations. Taking time to appreciate the art and to understand the engineering and technology adds STEAM value to this fun family event!
The GLOW is a fun STEAM adventure sure to have the whole family screaming with delight! The GLOW DC will be lighting up Lake Fairfax Park in Reston, VA until October 28, 2018. Make sure you get the Adventure Moms DC Promo Code before you buy your tickets!
Know Before You Go:
- Advanced Tickets are Required!! Don’t pay full price for tickets! Get the Adventure Moms DC Promo Code!
- Tickets for Adults are $22.99 and kids are $16.99 (3-12 years old). Children 2 years old and under are FREE.
- Get there early! It is busy and even though the parking is well directed, it can take a few extra minutes. The walk from the parking lot to the entrance can take a few minutes too.
- There is food available and picnic tables at the entrance.
- There are glow in the dark items available for purchase at the entrance.
- There are bathrooms available at the beginning and end of Jack’s Lane
- Parts of the pathway are gravel so plan ahead with strollers and/or wheelchairs. We recommend inflated tires or a jogging stroller.
- The GLOW allows 30 minutes in between groups, but it can take longer with kids, we took over an hour.
Find more Family Halloween Fun in our Halloween Guide!
The GLOW DC
Lake Fairfax Park
1400 Lake Fairfax Drive Reston, VA 20190
(202) 655-4021
dc@theglowjackolantern.com
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