Where to see (and carve your own) jack-o’-lanterns around Boston this Halloween

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What’s more classic than carving a jack-o’-lantern around Halloween? It’s an American tradition that can be traced back to the 19th century. But for an apartment-dweller like myself, it’s not the easiest activity to set up at home.

Carving pumpkins requires space and a solid, steady surface — unless you want to risk getting pumpkin guts everywhere. The cleanup situation scares me more than any horror movie, which means my home, sadly, is jack-o’-lantern-less, just a week shy of Halloween.

If you’re in the same predicament, here’s the good news: There are three after-work pumpkin carving events happening this coming week in Boston. A ticket to any of them gets you a pumpkin and tools, so you can bring home a jack-o’-lantern, without any of the mess.

We’ve also included two extravagant jack-o’-lantern displays where you can get some inspiration for your carving.

Pumpkin carving at Loco Fenway | Tues., Oct. 28
61 Brookline Ave., Boston

Loco Fenway generally serves up Mexican bites and oysters, but on Tuesday from 6–9 p.m., they’ll be passing out pumpkins along with their usual fare.

Admission is $33.85 (after fees) and includes all you’ll need to make a jack-o’-lantern, plus a choice of one of Loco’s four spooky Halloween-themed cocktails to sip on while you carve.

Pumpkin carving at Loretta’s Last Call | Tues. Oct. 28
1 Lansdowne St., Boston

Loretta’s Last Call, located just down the street from Loco, is also hosting a pumpkin carving event on Tuesday from 7–10 p.m. Tickets to the event at this Southern-themed spot are a little cheaper: $28.52 after fees. You’ll get a pumpkin, tools and a drink ticket. Their seasonal cocktails lean a bit more autumnal, with flavors like apple, pumpkin and brown sugar on the menu.

Pumpkin carving at Notch Brewery & Tap Room | Weds. Oct. 29
525 Western Ave., Boston

Notch Brewery at Brighton’s Charles River Speedway is hosting a guided pumpkin carving event on Wednesday night from 6–8 p.m. Just like Loretta’s, admission is $28.52. It includes a pumpkin and tools, plus tips from an in-person guide to help you carve your pumpkin magnum opus. (Drinks aren’t included with your ticket, but you can buy beer at the bar.)

Halloween Festival and Pumpkin Float | Sat., Oct. 25
Wright’s Pond, 140 Elm St., Medford

This Saturday is Medford’s fifth annual Halloween Festival at Wright’s Pond, which will feature a display of locals’ jack-o’-lanterns floating in the pond. The city is encouraging its residents to drop off their jack-o’-lanterns between noon and 2 p.m. to be included in the pumpkin float, which will be viewable from 6–8:30 p.m.

Jack-o’-lantern Spectacular at the Roger Williams Zoo | through Sun., Nov. 2
1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence, RI

The yearly Jack-o’-lantern Spectacular at the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence includes thousands of intricately carved, illuminated pumpkins, with some hanging as high as 40 feet above your head. As master pumpkin carver George Nickolopoulos told WBUR’s Tiziana Dearing in an interview this week, his team takes great care to make the exhibit as immersive as possible by suspending the jack-o’-lanterns with electrical wire so they appear to hover in the air. The Jack-o’-lantern Spectacular is open now through Nov. 2 from 6–10:30 p.m. each night. The event is very popular, so you’ll need to buy a timed ticket from the zoo before your visit.

P.S.— Here’s a carving pro tip from Nickolopoulos’ recent chat with Tiziana: Choose a “strange looking” pumpkin to give your final jack-o’-lantern a bit of character. Click here for even more carving advice from Nickolopoulos.