Pumpkin Nights - Dallas — Local services in Arlington

I had a lot of fun at Pumpkin Nights! I went yesterday for my birthday and had a blast! I’ve been to my share of fairs and community events so I knew waiting in lines was going to take some time. My biggest complaint though is the parking! I was grateful for the email that said parking may take 30 minutes, but in my experience at other similar events they say “takes 30 minutes” but the best experiences I’ve had is when I’ve parked under the expected time and felt happier upon entry. I think I came at a good time but it still took 45-50 min to park. PLEASE change the email to say up to an hour to park. It should be clear there is only one path to go cause I thought cars would be divided into separate lots according to availability. Even when I pulled up to park in an assigned lot it was confusing because 5 people in vests stood in a close line, each one guiding me to a spot but it looked like one of them was about to walk in front of my car. Really 2 people could have made sure my car was in the right place while the other 3 began helping the car behind me since they were just going to park right next to me. Or, have 1-2 valets lead in multiple cars to park in the lot at once since they seemed to just put cars in a line as they come in.

And also from living in Dallas for a while, most fairs and community events will cost around $30-$50 once you get there. It’s always kind of shocking, but if you prioritize things you think you’ll want the most then it’s not too bad and just adds to the experience. If it’s possible to eat before the event and you don’t want to spend $10-15 on food per person, or don’t like typical fair food, eat before or after going.

Loved the trail and definitely took me more than 15 minutes, mostly cause I wanted to stop at all the photo op areas and look at all the cool decorations and themes which were awesome. Also it made me so happy people were respectful and stood in a line to wait their turn even with kids who may try to run in front. I didn’t see any of the workers needing to step in cause people were problematic. Also whoever works the light up pumpkin with heart in the middle and the bench, give him a raise! He made sure he got...

I have gone to Pumpkin Nights for the past 4 years in a row (including this year). It's a really great experience for adults and kids of any age as they have added little bits each time that make it really interesting to come back and see. I will say I have noticed a pretty significant upwards trend with the quality and detail they spend putting the show together. The food and trinkets you can buy are probably a little above average for a carnival with similar pricing. If you want to make a whole evening out of it with the fire show, the walkthrough, and hanging out and chatting, it really is a wonderful setting for it! I feel like the helpfulness and attentiveness from the workers has also increased: whomever is the one running it is doing a superb job in keeping things clean, orderly, and efficient.

The only minor things I would improve would be:

The mocktails we're not that great: kind of tasted like a melted snowball. There were a few smaller models which could use a little repair here and there (The caterpillar in the gnome area and the talking pumpkins at the end come to mind): We came on the second to last day so it's very possible it got damaged after it was installed. The condiment tent feels like it could be set up to be a little more efficient as just a handful of people could clog it up for several minutes trying to get napkins, toppings for food, or plastic utensils. There could be a little bit of leveling in the walk/pathway as there were a few locations that had a bit of a dip that can catch you off guard a little bit if you aren't paying attention (especially since it's dark). Last thing would be to put up a little better signage at the snack tent about halfway through the walk showing what was offered as it was a little unclear what was available.

Other than that, I definitely think it's a great experience everyone should try at least once. I know my family has been a annual return and it's become somewhat of a staple for our...

LONG, BUT PLEASE READ BEFORE GOING! I don't see the point in selecting a time slot if it's going to be a crazy wait time. We went tonight, a Sunday, and it was a crazy, long line. I'm glad that we came from 820 (westbound) because that's the only direction that you could enter into the parking lot. I did see several people having to u-turn, coming from eastbound. There was a $10 parking fee per vehicle, which I wasn't expecting since the tickets were almost $40 a ticket. Once the line was moving, it was smooth sailing but be prepared for a lot of stop and go. There were a lot of employees directing the flow of traffic, which I appreciated. BE PREPARED FOR LOTS OF WALKING! There is a large area for vendors and food options. You have to purchase tickets ($1= 1 ticket), which you will need for food. You have about 10 food options. The only things that I saw for free were the flame throwers and the walking trail. The trail was super cute! It was crowded at times but it flowed well. If you are disabled or have a difficult time walking, this probably isn't the thing for you to do. There were some steep spots but it was doable. You're walking on grass and gravel a majority of the time. I think this is a cute place to bring younger children. Overall, it was 2.5 stars. I definitely expected a little more for the pricing. Especially the food prices. 5 tickets ($5) for a 20 oz Sprite, yet you could buy a whole pizza for 15 tickets ($15) was absurd!! Funnel cakes were 10 tickets. Corn dog was 10 tickets. Cheeseburger was priced at 15 tickets but I think it came with chips as well.

I...