(spooky rock music)
Hey everyone, I'm Rob Schweitzer
from historic Hudson valley.
And I welcome you to our event,
The Great Jack-o-lantern Blaze,
the country's biggest and most spectacular
jack-o-lantern display.
This year, nearly 200,000 people
from all 50 states are coming to see Blaze.
I'm gonna take you on a little tour
showing you how we hand carve
and display more than 7,000 jack-o-lanterns
in dozens of awesome installations.
I hope you enjoy it.
So let's get started.
(spooky music)
Perhaps the most popular display at Blaze
is this pumpkin planetarium.
It's pumpkins with stars all around you.
It's very Instagram friendly
and it is a great spot to propose which many have done,
I think successfully.
One installation that I think is really special and timely,
highlights the bravery and service of our first responders.
We've got special displays like this one
showcasing our firefighters, police and ambulance personnel,
everybody who's been on the front lines during the pandemic.
Another huge fan favorite is this amazing pumpkin carousel.
We love to see jack-o-lanterns on the move.
My good friend, Michael Natty yellow,
is creative director of Blaze.
He's gonna show you how you can create
a little bit of Blaze magic
at home with your own pumpkins.
When I pick out a pumpkin for jack-o-lantern carving,
I look for a couple of key things.
First of all, the stem,
if the stem is nice and strong
chances are your pumpkin's nice and strong.
The color of the pumpkin is also another indicator.
A dark orange pumpkin typically has thick wall
and will last you longer than a light orange pumpkin.
And finally, I like to just kind of tap it.
It sounds like a nice hollow pumpkin,
the chances are it's gonna be good for scooping and carving.
Traditionally people cut off the top of their pumpkin.
We at the Jack-o-lantern Blaze however,
cut a hole in the bottom,
that prevents the top from falling in, as you might know,
It also allows the pumpkin
to retain its structural integrity.
Now I'm gonna take my spoon
and scoop out the seeds and the guts.
(spooky rock music)
today I'm going to carve
The great Jack-o-lantern Blaze's logo.
So we're gonna use the mouth below the stem
and the eyes above.
So I'm just gonna cut the mouth away from the eyes.
So after I've attached the pumpkin pattern
in the right location,
I'm going to transfer the shapes to the pumpkin
using a sharp pencil.
So once the stencil has been transferred,
it's time to remove the paper and to start carving.
Now before carving
you just gotta take a couple of safety tips to mind.
You wanna try to cut away from yourself
as much as possible and use a sharp tool.
Don't use a dull knife.
You wanna put your knife perpendicular to the surface
of the pumpkin and use a gentle sawing motion
to cut along the line.
So once you have a chunk
that you think is gonna be able to come out easily,
put your hand inside the pumpkin and push it out.
Now I'm all done roughing out the shapes.
Could take it another step further with a nice sharp knife
and clean up any areas that look ragged.
And finally, I like to take just a dry paintbrush
and clean it out.
So once the Jack-o-lantern has been carved,
I recommend washing it down one more time
with warm, soapy water.
Make sure it's thoroughly dry after washing it.
And lastly, I clean the cuttings using vinegar.
A little vinegar will kill any germs or bacteria
that are on the surface of the pumpkin.
So once your jack-o-lantern has been washed
and thoroughly dried, it's time to light it up.
And there's nothing more classic
than a votive candle inside a jack-o-lantern,
that said there are many led electric lights
on the market that you can use for safety sake.
If you're using a candle, always keep an eye on it,
never leave it unattended.
Remember that hole in the bottom, look how easy that is,
just put 'em right under there.
Well I hope these tips
help you carve an awesome jack-o-lantern.
I want to wish everyone a very happy Halloween.
(chiming music)