Every October, La Cañada’s Descanso Gardens displayed what they referred to on their website as “a mesmerizing pumpkin wonderland” for visitors to walk through. The garden sells tickets for visitors to journey through the grounds to see carved pumpkins, sculptural pieces, and colorful lights that illuminate the garden at night.
A giant sea creature created out of pumpkins and gourds, which has graced the grounds of Descanso a variety of times in the past, once again makes an appearance in a body of water near the entrance. The Descanso Railroad exhibit, which features miniature trains on a track, has also been lit up and had small sculptures of pumpkin creatures making appearances around the area. Large, attention-catching sculptures of people with faux-pumpkin heads made out of materials including wood, corn husks, and burlap, lined the paths of expressive artificial pumpkins in part of the garden’s Camellia Forest. Close to a “house” covered in gourds where visitors can take photos, giant carved wooden sculptures by artist Chainsaw Jenna could be found, some taking the form of cheerful ghosts. There was also a “Dia de los Muertos” themed section in the amphitheater of the gardens: garlands of “papel picado” in a rainbow of colors hang above a stage, on which visitors can leave notes to departed loved ones written on the colorful rectangles of paper provided. Additionally, “Carved” features a rope art installation created by artists Tom and Lien Dekyvere titled “Rhizome.”
Yet the star of “Carved” might just be the expertly-carved pumpkins that seem to steal the show. Pumpkins in the exhibit often bear designs relating to Halloween or pop culture. Some giant pumpkins featured designs relating to sports, showing off recreations of the logos of the LA Kings, LA Dodgers, and the World Series, the latter two in celebration of the recent baseball event. Others displayed characters like Shaggy and Scooby-Doo from “What’s New, Scooby Doo?” as well as those from “Bluey,” and the witches from the “Hocus Pocus” franchise, while other pumpkins featured classic Halloween characters Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Mummy.
While visitors to Descanso can walk through the path of the event during the daytime with admission to see the event’s landmarks— a recreation of a shipwreck in between the Oak Grove and Rose Garden being another gem– “Carved” might best be viewed at night. The pumpkins will be glowing in the darkness, along with some of the aforementioned sections of the garden (including the “Rhizome” installation). Decanso’s celebration of the season enables visitors to feel immersed in the spirit of Halloween, as one would have to be when surrounded by pumpkins and frightfully fun decor!
To learn more about Carved, visit https://www.descansogardens.org/events-and-activities/carved/
