What to Know
- Oct. 11-31, 2021 in La Cañada Flintridge
- Tickets go on sale to members Sept. 1, and the general public on Oct. 1
- $25-$28 members, $32-$35 non-members
What flickers in your household, or yard, come the summertime?
It might a flameless votive sitting on your patio table, or a flashlight, the one that you're using on a campout with the kids.
But when summer takes its final bow, and fall enters the seasonal scene, the flickering changes. Soon we're placing candles or glowsticks or strings of lights inside hollowed-out, grin-big gourds, those seedier representatives of autumn fun.
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And the scene at Descanso Gardens in October? It's both sweet and quite literally seedy, thanks to all of the pumpkins, jack o'lanterns, and other fall-type decorations that go on cheery display.
For that's when "Carved" rolls into the La Cañada Flintridge land o' plants, bringing with it a caboodle of gentle charms , the sort of charms that speak of Halloween and the foliage-y time of year the holiday so eeriely occupies.
Here's something that's not eerie at all: The pumpkin people at Descanso Gardens just revealed the on-sale dates, and prices, of the 2021 event. If you're a member? You can buy your $25-$28 ticket starting on Sept. 1.
Non-members can purchase their entries starting on Oct. 1 (prices run $32-$35).
What can visitors expect to see once they alight at the ethereal destination on an atmospheric October evening?
Over a thousand pumpkins delightfully dotting the one-mile walk that connects Camellia Forest and Oak Grove.
Carving demonstrations, a maze made from hay (a material that forms the walls we associate with fall fun), and oversized sculptures, made from natural materials, will be on the pumpkin-spicy schedule, too.
Oh yes: And look for themed eats and drinks for sale, to add fall-tastic flavor to the multi-day fest.
One of the most charming parts of this annual happening? All of the not-too-spooky household finds, greeting cards, ornaments, and more that are available for purchase in the Descanso Gardens gift shop.
Flicker flicker: Right now we may be enjoying our flameless patio votives on warm summer evenings, or flashlight-based frolicking inside tents, but a different grinning glow will soon bestow magic and merriment upon one of the autumn-iest expanses in Southern California.
