Glass Pumpkin Festival


Jack Pine Studio

Photo: Appleby, Matt

Jack Pine’s popular Glass Pumpkin Festival runs Sept. 22-24 in the Hocking Hills

First-ever Thurs. VIP Preview Party benefits pups and offers early pick of pumpkin of the year

 

Laurelville, OH – The annual event that draws some 10,000 art fans to Hocking Hills is back again this September, Fri. Sept. 22 and running through Sunday, Sept. 24, the Fourth Annual Glass Pumpkin Festival is open from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Parking is limited and festival-goers are encouraged car pool and can reserve VIP parking for $5 at GlassPumpkinFestival.com, with each reservation receiving a $5 coupon towards their Jack Pine pumpkin purchase.

A highlight is the unveiling of Jack Pine’s annual Pumpkin of the Year, with the festival marking the first opportunity for fans of the legendary glass blower to snag the highly collectible, limited-edition glass pumpkin. The Glass Pumpkin Festival offers families a safe and beautiful escape centered around a stunning outdoor arts experience set in the magnificence of Ohio’s most visited location for fall foliage.

Attendees will again be amazed by thousands of spectacular hand-blown glass pumpkins -- in a rainbow of colors and finishes -- that will fill the grounds of Jack Pine Studio in Laurelville. Each pumpkin features Pine’s signature strong saturation of colors and unique finishing technique, which results in stunning lustrous works of art.

An outdoor artist’s market will feature more than 20 fine artists from around the region, showing and selling their work. A dozen food trucks serving an array of great food, live music and kids activities complete the sensory experience. The festival is an unmatched opportunity to find gorgeous fall décor and perfect handcrafted holiday gifts.

Jack Pine’s talented team of glassblowing artists will be at work throughout the festival, allowing attendees to watch firsthand as they blow, turn and stretch pure molten glass into exquisite works of art. Presented by Vinton County Bank, world-famous pumpkin carver Gus Smithister returns to carve a monstrous 600 plus-pound pumpkin into an eyepopping live sculpture, with plenty of more manageably sized pumpkins available for purchase. Kids activities will keep budding junior artists entertained while inspiring their creative side.

VIP Pumpkins & Paws Preview Party

For the first time ever, Jack Pine glass collectors and art lovers can have first pick of the artisan works on Thursday, Sep 21 from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are now on sale for the Pumpkins & Paws Preview Party, which benefits Perry County Animal Welfare Society. Live music from renowned R&B band Honey & Blue will set the stage, along with heavy hors d’oeuvres, a glassblowing demonstration by the man himself, Jack Pine with the piece created that night being auctioned off. In addition to VIP private viewing of local traveling artists’ work, partygoers will not only have the chance to benefit a worthy paws cause, but will also enjoy early access the 2023 Pumpkin Of The Year. Tickets are limited and are now available at GlassPumpkinFestival.com for $89 through Sept. 15. After that date, any remaining tickets will be $99.

Visitors can plan their trip to this incredible area at ExploreHockingHills.com. 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. Pine has been blowing glass for over 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.