One of the best parts of living in Ottawa is that whenever family or friends visit, I have a multitude of sightseeing options to offer. Through this, I also tend to come across unique events I previously wasn’t aware of. Such is the case for Pumpkinferno.

Ahead of my mom’s early October visit, I began searching for an interesting sightseeing option for us. I was hoping to find something I had never experienced before, but that we would both find appealing. Enter: Pumpkinferno.

This unique event takes place at Upper Canada Village (about an hour’s drive southeast of Ottawa), and runs from September 30 to October 30. The display consists of nearly 7000 hand-carved pumpkins (technically they’re jack-o-lanterns, but I digress) arranged to beautifully showcase the talent behind the creations.

If the pumpkins don’t impress you, the venue itself just might! On a normal day, Upper Canada Village takes you back in time to the 1860s, when butter churning was a prominent task in life. If the 1860s isn’t your style, check out their Medieval Festival in June!

As fun as it is to see the pumpkins in pictures, it can’t possibly compare to seeing it firsthand. The entire trek took us about 45 minutes, and I’m quite positive an expression of total awe never left my face. As a girl whose drawing talent mainly comprises of stick figures, I was very impressed!

As we progressed, the pumpkin displays transitioned from random faces into themed groupings. For instance, there was a display of coins from around the world, a musically timed light up display set to Jailhouse Rock, and the Hall of Horoscopes.

Another themed area included likenesses of famous paintings such as the Mona Lisa and American Gothic.

In the end, though, my favorite display was a series of Mexican sugar skulls. The skulls are tied to the Mexican celebration Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which honors deceased loved ones and allows for spirits to be reunited. Although I’m fascinated by it, I could never properly do the celebration justice, so if you’d like more information, follow the link to explore.

Although I have now been to Upper Canada Village twice, I have yet to visit the village during a non-themed event. I’m hoping to change that this summer, as it seems like the place has so much to offer even on normal days.

Have you been to Upper Canada Village? How would you rate your pumpkin carving skills?