We have heard so many great things about the annual Pumpkins Aglow evening event at Franklin Park Conservatory.
We love the conservatory in all seasons, but typically fall is not one of the times we tend to go. I guess that’s because there are so many great things to do in the fall in Columbus.
This year, hubby surprised Z and I by getting tickets for our family to experience Pumpkins Aglow. We were so excited to finally check it out!
The event is billed as a family-friendly stroll through pumpkin-lined pathways. The weather that day was gorgeous all morning and afternoon – just a really nice fall day. That is… until we hopped in the car to head down to Franklin Park.
Wouldn’t you know it, by the time we arrived at the conservatory, it was misting. As we walked in with our tickets, it was drizzling. And by the time we entered the children’s garden to begin seeing the sights, it was outright pouring down rain.
Did we have raincoats, jackets or umbrellas to help keep us dry? No, we did not. I keep the umbrellas in my car and we happened to take E’s truck. Doh! But, that’s okay – we had fun and took some great photos anyway.
Z happens to like rain and since it wasn’t cold, it really wasn’t that bad. I’m happy in all seasons as long as it’s not the dreaded combo of cold and rainy (my personal nemesis). For my hubby, however, who was likely a cat in a past life, things got pretty drippy and miserable. He definitely took one for the team that night!
Pro tip: know before you go. The Pumpkins Aglow event is almost entirely outdoors. Don’t buy tickets for a night that might be rainy, or bring jackets and umbrellas if you do!
There were food trucks, kettle corn and other outdoor vendors, but we ended up deciding to go home to eat. The idea of eating outside in the rain – while sitting on wet picnic tables and having rain fall on our food – just wasn’t the vibe we were going for. Still, I imagine this would be a super fun time on non-rainy nights.
When we got back home and I had a dry place to actually look at the event guide we were handed, I realized that we missed out on seeing several other entertainers and kids activities. Perhaps they were hiding inside somewhere out of the rain? The guide lists:
- Spooky sand art ($3)
- Spider spin art ($2)
- Fortune teller
- Face painter
- Games
- Family dance space
- Amazing giant fire performers (Oct 12-16)
- Light-up juggling by Matt Jergens (Oct. 19-23)
- Amazing giant sway pole witch (Oct. 26-30)
In the interior courtyard, the hot shop also allegedly had gorgeous glass pumpkins for sale. Alas, we didn’t see any of that – but who knows, it may not have been right for our middle-schooler’s tastes, anyway.
Bottom line, we went for the family stroll through the pumpkins and that’s exactly what we got. Next time, hopefully, we’ll choose a night with a bit less precipitation. We would absolutely give it another try. We’re huge fans of Franklin Park Conservatory and they always do a great job with their events and exhibitions.
When was the last time your family got rained out of a fun time? Did you enjoy it anyway, despite the weather? I’d love to hear your rainy tales in the comments below or over on Facebook or Instagram.
