What to Know
- "Carved" at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge
- Oct 7 through 31; carved pumpkins, light installations, more fall-fun sights
- Tickets are $20-$26 for members, $32-$38 for nonmembers
There are as many different expressions of the Halloween season as there are types of candy on a store shelf, with scary spectaculars, kid-cute happenings, pet dress-up parties, and other eeky events frightfully filling the Southern California schedule.
But finding a peaceful dimension, a sort of ethereal approach to autumn?
That can be done if you make for Descanso Gardens, where jack o'lanterns, atmospheric light installations, pumpkin-lined pathways, and chances to watch carvers at work bring both coolness and quaintness to "Carved."
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
The multi-week after-dark delight opens on Friday, Oct. 7, and the fanciful flicker will stay strong right through to Halloween.
What will you encounter while wandering the La Cañada Flintridge gardens in the evening, which in itself is a rare opportunity?
Thousands of pretty lit-from-within pumpkins in the Camellia Forest and beyond, glowful experiences enhanced by UV "black light," a Día de los Muertos installation in the Amphitheater, and carvers putting their tools to a line-up of gorgeous gourds.
The pumpkin house has returned — you really can step inside a structure that's covered with colorful squashes — and the pumpkin-covered sea monster is also holding cute court.
Seasonal treats? Those will be for sale, and there's always a phantom-fun line-up of items for sale at the gift shop.
The admission to soaking in all of these under-the-stars sights? "Carved" is $20-$26 for Descanso Gardens members and $32-$38 for nonmembers.
And if this sort of quieter and creative approach to a holiday season appeals, stay tuned: "Enchanted Forest of Light" opens at Descanso Gardens a few days ahead of Thanksgiving 2022.
