Distinguished as a top fall festival in the nation by USA Today’s readers, the 6th annual Jack Pine Glass Pumpkin Festival takes place Fri. Sept. 19 through Sunday, Sept. 21 in Ohio’s stunning Hocking Hills Region.
Open from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, this much-loved, free fall festival has grown to draw more than 10,000 art lovers from around the country to this renowned glass artist’s studio in southeast Ohio to purchase fall décor, holiday gifts and more. Festivalgoers are encouraged to carpool and reserve VIP Advance Discount Parking for $5 at GlassPumpkinFestival.com. Guests who reserve parking receive a $5 coupon towards their Jack Pine pumpkin purchase. Plenty of day-of parking is available for $10 per car.
VIP Preview benefit party features “One Wicked Night”
Just 200 tickets are available, but everyone is invited to experience the unforgettable “One Wicked Night” Glass Pumpkin Festival Preview night. The party features a soft opening at 5 p.m. and gourmet dinner at 6 p.m., live music, a fabulous silent auction, drawings and door prizes and, of course, first dibs on the Pumpkin of the Year – and much of the gorgeous art at the festival. Ideal for groups of friends and couples, the evening benefits the Laurelville Food Pantry. VIP Preview Party Tickets are $75 each and available at GlassPumpkinFestival.com.
Pumpkin of the Year
Legions of Jack Pine fans and collectors eagerly await the unveiling of his annual Pumpkin of the Year, which often drives the festival’s theme and will be announced in via social media in the coming weeks. The Glass Pumpkin festival offers the first opportunity purchase the highly collectible, limited-edition hand-blown glass pumpkin.
Favorite Fall Fest
Throughout the Jack Pine Glass Pumpkin Festival, thousands of spectacular hand-blown glass pumpkins in a rainbow of colors and finishes will fill the Glass Pumpkin Patch, each featuring Pine’s signature intense color saturation and unique gleaming finish. Pine’s pastoral 11-acre Laurelville studio grounds in will be filled with three dozen fine artists from around the region showing and selling their work in a lively outdoor artists’ market. Gourmet food trucks will serve up everything from pumpkin ice cream and mini donuts to smoked lasagna, Louisiana bourbon chicken, Schmidt’s famous brats and Bahama Mamas, fully loaded baked potatoes and more. Throughout the Glass Pumpkin Festival, live music performed by talented Ohio musicians will fill the air.
Glass Pumpkin Festival attendees love watching the talented team of artists blow glass into exquisite works of art. World-famous carver Gus Smithister will be back again live-carving a monstrous 600-pound pumpkin into an eyepopping design. “Normal” sized pumpkins area available for purchase, and kids will love painting mini pumpkins to take home, which joins a face painting artist in the Kids area.
Jack Pine Studio is a hand-blown glass studio and gallery located in the heart of Hocking Hills that’s open to the public daily throughout the year. Jack Pine has been blowing glass for more than 35 years and his work has been featured in galleries and museums around the world. In addition to his own work, Jack Pine Studio’s onsite gallery features the work of a number of other fine artists, from heavy metal sculpture to delicate glass jewelry. Studio history and details are found at www.jackpinestudio.com.