Events

Glass Pumpkin Patch

Shop the Arboretum’s annual sale for exquisite, blown glass art celebrating the beauty of autumn.

Content Detail

Explore a dazzling display of more than 7,000 one-of-a-kind glass pumpkins in traditional and unique colors, shapes, and sizes at this annual celebration of autumn and artistry. Rain or shine, talented artists who work with glass will display their work under tents near the West Lawn, next to the Arboretum’s Visitor Center.

The 14th annual Glass Pumpkin Patch opens to the public on Friday, October 11, and runs through Sunday, October 13, 2024. Entrance to the event is included with Arboretum general admission.

Event Details

The event has several components.

Glass Pumpkin Patch Member Event

During this ticketed event on Thursday, October 10, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., Arboretum members can get a sneak peek at this year’s glass creations and purchase their favorites before the sale opens to the public.

Shop the Glass Pumpkin Patch

Glass pumpkins will be available to purchase from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Friday and from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Presale viewing will take place on Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Glassblowing Exhibitions

Watch artists dramatically turn bits of glass into stunning one-of-a-kind molten masterpieces during the glassblowing exhibitions. Starting at 10:30 a.m., demonstrations will be held every thirty minutes through 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The final demonstration will begin at 4:30 p.m. each day.

Halloween Tent 

This spook-tacular season, visit the Halloween tent to shop enchanting and frightful works of art to decorate both home and garden.

Glass pumpkins are only available for sale on these dates, so don’t miss your chance to take one home!

Your purchases help support the Arboretum’s vision of a greener, healthier, more beautiful world where people and trees thrive together.

 

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Member Event

Be among the first to explore a dazzling display of more than 7,000 one-of-a-kind glass pumpkins in traditional and unique colors, shapes, and sizes at the annual Glass Pumpkin Patch Member Event. Each glass pumpkin is hand blown to reflect nature’s brilliance and all items are available for purchase at this exclusive event.

This is a separate ticketed event reserved for members and donors. Member Event tickets offer early access to shop the Glass Pumpkin Patch and include one glass of wine or beer, coffee, soda, and a cookie. The Member Event event is for adults 21 and older.

Purchase Member Event tickets.

Glassblowing Exhibitions

Starting at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, glassblowing demonstrations will be scheduled every thirty minutes throughout the day. The final demonstration will begin at 4:30 p.m.

Watch artists dramatically turn bits of glass into stunning one-of-a-kind molten masterpieces during the glassblowing exhibitions, where you can browse the artwork and meet the artists. Enjoy the unique style of each participating artist’s work—their use of varied techniques and color combinations make each of these gallery-quality pieces a one-of-a-kind design!

Browse and admire during the exhibition, meet the artists, and shop a magnificent rainbow-colored collection of more than 7,000 handblown glass pumpkins and other autumnal designs.

2024 Glass Pumpkin Patch Artist List

Michael Amis

Shirley, Illinois
Amis designed and built a glassblowing studio for Kokomo Opalescent Glass, where he worked as a studio director, designer, and gaffer until he opened his own studio in 2007.

Ekin Deniz Aytac and Joshua Davids

Kalamazoo, Michigan
Ekin Deniz Aytac and Joshua Davids are a husband and wife team of artists working in glass. They manage Glass Art Kalamazoo, a nonprofit public access glass studio. Their work is exhibited in internationally renowned galleries, museums, and private collections.

Aaron Baigelman

Lake Forest, Illinois
Baigelman started blowing glass at the age of 11 and has studied with several world-class glass sculptors. In 2014, he launched Baigelman Glass with his wife and fellow artist, Heather Baigelman.

N’Kosi Barber

Chicago, Illinois
N’kosi Barber is an illustrator and sculptural glass artist from the South Side of Chicago. Barber is a Project Fire instructor and peer educator who began with the program in 2016.

Amanda Cosgrove-Paffrath

Racine, Wisconsin
Introduced to glassblowing in high school, Cosgrove-Paffrath co-owns Hot Shop Glass and Funky Hannah’s Beads & Art. Her work can be found in Europe, South America, and the United States.

Brock Eddleman

Bloomington, Illinois
Eddleman has explored a variety of glass techniques, including furnace-worked, soft glass, blown glass, and torch work. He has recently learned the art of millefiore and is incorporating it into his work.

Gigi Erickson

Eagle Mountain, Utah
Erickson started glassblowing in 1990 and studied in Corning, New York, with notable artists. Pumpkins are one of her passions; she also creates many other objects in hot glass.

Dave Gribbins

Beecher, Illinois
Gribbins has built a career on glass art. He earned an MA in sculpture and currently teaches sculpture, glass, ceramics, and printmaking at Governors State University. He continues to make glass with George Tessman.

Jeremy Hansen

Racine, Wisconsin
Hansen dreamed of becoming an artist as a child and pursued his passion at Alfred University in New York where he earned a degree with a dual focus on ceramics and hot glass.

John Van Koningsveld

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Van Koningsveld began blowing glass in 2005. He owns a studio that specializes in stained glass, bronze sculpture, and blown glass work.

Charlie Manion

Alfred, New York
Trained as a scientific flamethrower, Manion transforms music, sound, found materials, and glass into something new. He is currently pursuing a masters degree in sculpture at Alfred University.

Kit Paulson

Penland, North Carolina
Paulson has taught in the United States and Germany, and her work has been published in the New Glass Review. She currently serves as a resident artist at North Carolina’s Penland School of Craft.

Amanda Pierce

Bloomington, Indiana
Pierce has interests in glassblowing and casting, as well as in sculptural and functional work with a variety of materials including metal, wood, marble, and concrete.

Jeff Simmons

Kokomo, Indiana
Simmons is the director of Hot Glass Studio. He draws on over two decades of experience working with the medium to create both custom and production work; he is an independent artist based in Indiana.

Daniel Sviland

Waukegan, Illinois
Co-owner of Hot Shop Glass in Racine, Wisconsin, Sviland has created art with glass since the age of 12. He has worked with and learned from several great glassblowing artists.

George Tessman

Highland, Indiana
A former Marine, Tessman rediscovered his passion for the arts, particularly hot glass, in 2000. He opened his own studio in 2003 and his work is favored by jewelry designers and collectors in the United States and abroad.

Matthew Urban

Normal, Illinois
Urban owns and operates Furnace Urbini Glass Works in Illinois where he creates his own line, as well as commissioned work for other artists and designers.

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