If you love Halloween and are looking for a spooky
family outing, you have 3,000 reasons to attend this year's Twilight Pumpkin Spectacular at the Nassau County Museum of Art. That's how many glowing, hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns will illuminate the walking paths on the museum grounds during the four-day special event.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Eerie music will greet guests as they step onto paths that start near the parking lot, meander through the museum's outdoor sculpture garden and wrap around the back of the building.
Along the way, visitors will encounter medium- to large-size pumpkins, some with intricately carved faces, designs and scenes, and others with only light cuts to the outer surface layer so that the light shines through softly, says facilities manager Fran Diesu.
Patrons will make their way through different scenes - with witches, spiders and a few other dark and spooky surprises - along the way. They also should be on the lookout for a giant glowing snake, carved from about 60 pumpkins and laid end to end.
WHO SHOULD GO
"This is a family event, or you can come with a date," says museum director Constance Schwartz. She estimates more than 20,000 people turned out in the pouring rain for last year's inaugural event. Schwartz is hoping for a similar turnout - and better weather - this year.
FOR KIDS
A "Spooky Circle" has been designed for the little ones, who will be treated to scary tales of ghosts and goblins by storyteller Janice Buckner of Huntington. They also can get a close-up look at owls and snakes brought to the museum grounds from the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center in Oyster Bay.
TICKETS AND OTHER GOODIES
Advance tickets are required. Ticket-buyers can choose entry times every half-hour between 6 and 9:30 p.m.
A tent will serve as a gift shop and cafe, where guests can go for assorted sweet treats, including hot chocolate, warm apple cider, cakes and candies.
WHERE | WHEN
Where: Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Drive (off Northern Boulevard), Roslyn Harbor), 516-484-9337.
When: Thursday-Sunday, 6-10:30 p.m. (entry every half hour, last one at 9:30)
Cost: $14, $7 ages 6-12. Advance tickets required. Available at
nassaumuseum.com
Calling all carvers
Pumpkin carving
WHEN 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Wednesday
WHERE Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor
You don't have to wait for the museum's Pumpkin Spectacular to get in on the fun. More than 3,000 pumpkins need to be carved, and the museum is looking for volunteers ages 18 and older to get busy. If you have a flair for the artistic and a bit of skill with a carving knife, you're invited to transform as many pumpkins as you'd like - be they goofy, intricate, scary or sculptural - into jack-o'-lanterns.
Volunteers can bring their own tools, and the museum staff also will have some available as well as stencils and patterns.
"Everybody who comes brings something new to this," says museum facilities manager Fran Diesu. "Some bring electric drills with different-size bits. They bring apple corers, melon-ballers and strong cookie cutters - anything you can use to cut a pumpkin."
And there's a payoff: Those who carve at least five will receive a free pass to the event.
