Jack-O-Lanterns by moonlight

Thirteen carved pumpkins flickered beneath the full moon, lifting the spirits of those who dared to stroll, or drive, down Jack-O-Lantern Lane in Goshen, Conn. 

The Oct. 27 event was a combination of the town’s annual Halloween party for youngsters with a new twist this year: a Jack-O-Lantern contest. 

Contestants of all ages unleashed their spooky creativity and imaginations on big and small pumpkins, and visitors submitted votes for their favorites. Their creations ranged from ghoulish, to funny, to classy.

Goshen’s Recreation Director Erin Reilly said she was excited by the turnout.

 “I couldn’t ask for more for our first year,” she noted. “We hope to make it an annual event.”

 Reilly said the idea was inspired by her mom, Sandi, who had attended a hugely popular Jack-O-Lantern contest in Keene, New Hampshire. “She told me, ‘You should do something like that.’”

As for the full Hunter’s Moon in near full peak, which Mother Nature provided as a fitting backdrop, Reilly laughed, “I didn’t plan it that way.”