If you are planning to come along to our Pumpkin Light Up Nights, we’ve listed the answers below to all the people have asked us, to help you plan your visit.
What is a Pumpkin Light Up Night?
This is when we light up all the lanterns throughout the Garden that have been carved by people of all ages, during our ‘Community Pumpkin Carving Weekend’.
When are the Pumpkin Light Up Nights happening?
Every evening from Monday 28 October – Friday 1 November, from around 6pm.
Are the Pumpkin Light Up Nights free?
As always, the Garden will be free to enter. However, during the Light Up Nights we’ll be encouraging people to make a donation if they can. This is to help us to cover the costs of the Pumpkin Lantern Festival and to support our community and education programme.
Can I bring children to the Pumpkin Light Up Nights?
Children are very welcome on these nights. They must be accompanied by their adults at all times. This is so that we can make sure everybody is safe.
What is the best day for me to come to a Pumpkin Light Up Night?
We advise you to come near the beginning of the week. The pumpkins start to deteriorate from the minute they are carved, so the display will get smaller as the week goes on.
What is the best time to come to a Pumpkin Light Up Night?
If you are visiting with children we recommend that you come between 6pm-8pm. If you are adults visiting without children we recommend that you come between 8pm-10pm.
Can I book for the Pumpkin Light Up Nights?
We cannot take bookings. Please be aware that you may have to queue for entrance at busy times.
Can I bring a group to the Pumpkin Light Up Nights?
The Garden always limits group sizes to a maximum of 8 people, including children and this is the same during our Pumpkin Lantern Festival.
Will the Garden Cafe be open during the Pumpkin Light Up Nights?
Our cafe will be open and serving a range of hot and cold drinks, including mulled wine and hot chocolate and seasonal cakes and bakes.
Will you be selling pizzas?
Our pizzas are now finished for the year and, although we normally allow people to bring in their own food, because we are expecting to be so busy during Light Up Nights, we are asking people not to bring in pizzas or food that needs a lot of table space.
Can I carve a pumpkin during the Pumpkin Light Up Nights?
No! To keep everyone safe we cannot allow people to carve their own pumpkins in the Garden during the Light Up Nights. The ‘Community Pumpkin Carving Weekend’ on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 October is the only time that we are able to offer carving sessions to the public.
Can we come and see all of the pumpkins lit up on Sunday 27 October?
Everyone who has carved a pumpkin during our ‘Community Pumpkin Carving Weekend’, will be invited to an exclusive ‘Carvers Only Light Up Night’, on Sunday 27 October 6pm -8pm. This is so that we can say a very big thank you to them for helping make the Pumpkin Light Up Nights possible!
Will there be somewhere to park my buggy during Pumpkin Light Up Nights?
We will have a space where you can leave your buggy. Please note that this is at your own risk and we recommend you keep all of your valuables with you.
Will there be somewhere I can leave my bike during the light up nights?
Our space is extremely limited so there will be no space for bikes during the Light up Nights.
How are the pumpkins lit up?
The pumpkins are lit up with live candles. This means that we ask everyone to take care and to not get too close to the lanterns. We ask adults who are bringing children to stay with them at all times and for their safety, to make them aware they must never touch the pumpkin lanterns!
Will the pumpkins be lit up on Saturday 2 & Sunday 3 November?
On these two nights we will light up any of the pumpkin lanterns that are still in one piece before we bid them farewell! As the weather is mild this year we don’t expect there to be that many so we recommend if you can to visit earlier in the week.
