In pockets of towering trees in one of Louisville’s oldest parks, a maniacal laugh set to electronic music echoes through the thick forest. It's a chorus fitting for one of the region’s most popular Halloween attractions: the Jack O’Lantern Spectacular at Iroquois Park.

These aren’t your average hollowed-out pumpkins on the front porch. About 5,000 jack-o’-lanterns with handcarved celebrity portraits, animals, cartoon characters and the standard silly faces illuminate the walking trail.

The pumpkin-palooza originated in Massachusetts in the 1980s. Travis Reckner’s father, John, and his family ran a small trail from their backyard with a few jack-o’-lanterns. Now, he’s the head of Passion for Pumpkins, the production company behind the Jack O’Lantern Spectacular — which also has shows in

See Full Page