Because not everything in Los Angeles is movies, we like to shine a spotlight every so often on the added cultural richness which the movie capital of the world is too frequently accused of lacking. The conundrum as it were, especially for tourists, is that while there’s no shortage of Southern California attractions and events on par with other major metropolitan areas, the sprawling nature of the region makes it devilishly difficult to sometimes find them. Unlike, say, Manhattan, where there always seems to be something around every corner, Los Angeles hides its seasonal treasures in whatever outlying community or venue is best suited to it. The tradeoff is that because Los Angeles is so sprawling, it has a greater abundance of such venues — one of which is the King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas, just west of the 101 freeway at the intersection of Mulholland Highway and Las Virgines Road. Nearly 600 acres in size, the century-old ranch is one of Southern California’s hidden jewels, but its most famous seasonal claim to fame is as home of the annual “Nights of the Jack,” arguably the very best of the region’s artisan Jack-o’-lantern festivals.
Those looking to boost their Halloween spirit still have this final weekend to do so — Nights of the Jack will close after Halloween (until next September) but it remains far and away the premiere Halloween experience in the region. Two years after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the event into a drive-through, it’s now back at full strength for the second year, with visitors and artists once again in happy communion.
Visitors can buy tickets for assigned time slots from 6pm, beginning their self-guided tour at the merchandise and souvenir counter, after which there are ample selfie opportunities alongside a local psychic, a face-painting booth and a real artisan pumpkin carver demonstrating how it’s done. If you can survive the humiliation of feeling like a total amateur in his presence, you then proceed into the outdoor food court area served by more than a half dozen food trucks featuring something for everyone (the pizza and donut ice cream sundaes provide more than enough calories to power you through the 2/3 mile walk that follows). Once you’ve loaded up on the calories, you can either head into the “Spookeasy” for some added libation or jump straight into “Jack’s Trail” and power up your sense of awe. Despite offering free daytime visits, during which you can better see and appreciate some of the technical artistry that goes into the creation of the exhibits, you really have to experience the trail at night for full Halloween effect. That’s because with any true Jack-o’-lantern — artisan or homemade — it’s just a carved pumpkin until you add light. The same is true of Nights of the Jack — the extraordinary art and craftsmanship that has gone into the creation of these exhibits and displays doesn’t fully come to life until light is added, which in some cases is as artful and complex as the work which has gone into the pumpkin. In other instances, the carving of the pumpkins is of purely secondary importance — designed for the lighting rather than the other way around.
Apart from a handful of non-pumpkin-themed attractions — the hugely kid-popular light tunnels and “foam snow” machine — Jack’s Trail is broken down into a series of themed fantasias, which furnish artisan pumpkin carvers the chance to demonstrate that the popular, versatile autumn gourd is as much a canvas as an actual canvas.
One of the first displays is dinosaur-themed and introduces visitors to the most popular technique on display, where halved pumpkins are assembled to approximate a shape, and then carved to more accurately convey that image once lit from behind. It’s an awe-inspiring sight which is further enhanced by smart and spooky sound design and music.
Individual Jacks paying tribute to movies, movie characters and movie stars are on display throughout as are exhibits themed for Africa, the solar system, SpongeBob Squarepants, aliens, Disney princesses and many more.
Be sure and bring water along the way, however, as there are no watering stations on Jack’s Path until you exit once again at the food court — where that donut ice cream sundae will beckon in case you let it slip the first time around.
Finally, lest someone in your party (possibly a younger one) grumble about “Why Calabasas?,” there’s a display explaining the meaning of the city’s name — which derives from the Spanish word for pumpkin — and the fascinating story behind it.
King Gillette Ranch is located at 26800 Mulholland Highway. For more information or tickets, visit https://nightsofthejack.com.