The spirit of Halloween lives at the Fairplex in Pomona. For 24 days, starting on Oct. 10, Pumpkins Nights brings interactive experiences and festival activities to the Fairplex with seven lands created with more than 3,000 pumpkins.
There are seven Pumpkin Lands, where guests can explore and experience different Halloween-themed areas and destinations. It all starts with walking through Pumpkin Passage and discovering Jack-O-Lynn, a 9-foot-tall pumpkin, perfectly placed for a photo opp.
“The fall season isn’t complete without Pumpkin Nights, the magical festival where all can create lasting memories with family, friends or an unforgettable date with plenty of photo opps that will say more than a thousand words,” said Marielle Croudo, CMP, product manager and experience designer of Pumpkin Nights. “We’re excited to unveil new experiences and expanded Pumpkin Lands this year. Guests discover the story of the lands through the quest, then can stay for a fire show, outdoor movie, food and drinks and much more, making Pumpkin Nights the ideal family or date night.”
Each of the Pumpkin Lands focuses on a culture, fantasy land or age group. Guests can experience Asian and Latino-inspired areas, take an adventure through a pirate cove, ocean reef or enchanted forest, or act like a kid in the Monster Mash area. Of course there are pumpkins galore of the hand-crafted and synthetic variety.
Guests can explore the Forbidden Pumpkin City, with a 40-foot dragon made of pumpkins and decorated with Chinese lanterns made of pumpkins and a reflective pond complete with pumpkin turtles.
The Monster Mash area has teeter-totters, hula-hoops corn hole games and pumpkin bowling.
The Great Pumpkin Hall brings the sights and smells of Halloween with owl pumpkins and pumpkin-spiced scented fog. Visitors might even see a real owl or two.
Maravilla Lane helps guests celebrate Dia de los Muertos, with sugar skulls and flowers and a place to leave tributes to loved ones near the ofrenda.
At Pumpkin Pirate Cove, guests can visit a pirate ship and tropical island where they can dig
for treasure under pumpkin palm trees.
The Pumpkin Reef has a giant pumpkin octopus and is filled with bubbles, sea creatures, coral and jellyfish.
The Enchanted Pumpkin Forest is filled with pumpkin gnomes in their gnome village and has a wishing well,
Pumpkin Central is the hub of the Pumpkin Lands with places to watch live pumpkin artists, food vendors, a fire show, movie screening and a bounce house.
Tickets must be purchased in advance. Kids 3 and under are free. Tickets for children ages 4-12 are $16, seniors 60 and older are $18, general admission tickets are $20. Family packs of two general admission and two children tickets are available for $65. Weekday Night Owl Specials are available Monday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to close. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.PumpkinNights.com.
Pumpkin Nights open on Oct. 10 and run through Nov. 3. It is open from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. It is closed on Halloween. It is located at the Fairplex, 1101 W McKinley Ave., Pomona, Calif., 91768.
