By Alice Sungurov
After a week of biting cold, a crisp, almost improbable warmth settled over Morristown last night, as if the weather itself had been timed for the Pumpkin Illumination at Vail Mansion. Dozens of families filled the grounds, children bundled into costumes and tugging at their parents’ sleeves, eager to see the rows of jack-o’-lanterns flickering against the mansion’s pale facade. The faces ranged from classic triangle-eyed grins to delicate, lace-like designs that must have taken hours to coax out of the rind.
There was something for everyone. A story time unfolded with all the coziness of a ’90s feel-good fall movie, the kind where the leaves are always mid-fall and everyone owns a good sweater. A crafts station hummed with glue sticks and construction paper. And towering over it all were the puppets: fantastically large, gloriously loud, and joined by an array of masks for anyone who wanted to take part in the parade.
The air was full of laughter, a joy that seemed to glow as brightly as the pumpkins themselves. As I watched, I was struck by a quiet appreciation: moments like these are when we remember we aren’t alone. In this post-COVID age, when nearly everyone seems to have some version of a work-from-home job, when kids have known some degree of virtual schooling, and when online division grows more polarized by the day, AI seems to be everywhere, events like this one, and like the recent Festival of Books, give us a chance to remember that, for all our own “things,” we are still part of a greater community. It’s amazing. It’s wonderful.
One patron, Ryan Lay, an engineer from Butler, was in Morristown on a date when he wandered past the festivities and stopped to take them in. When I asked what he thought, he said, “Well, it’s great to see people wanting to spend time carving something themselves. You can definitely see people who have years of practice come up with intricate designs, and those who maybe are a bit more novice. It’s sweet, and I really wasn’t expecting to come across this, but as someone just passing by, it’s really awesome.”
If you couldn’t make your way to Morristown, you’re in luck: another Pumpkin Illumination is coming to Morris Plains on Friday, October 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Merchant Block. Bring a costume, and maybe a neighbor.
