Glass Pumpkins

Donate Today

Some gourds made of glass were showcased at the Arboretum.

“It’s a little bit of chemistry, a little bit of heat, a little bit of sweat, and a whole lot of magic,” said Shannon Morgan, founder of the Glass Pumpkin Patch.

Morgan blew the crowd away with her amazing pumpkins. It’s the seventh year the Morton Arboretum has held the event, but making a glass pumpkin might take even longer.

“It takes 10 years and 20 minutes to make a pumpkin…I’m kidding, and here’s why, is because you don’t just make a pumpkin right of the bat, you have to develop a certain skill set,” said Morgan.

Morgan has been developing her skills for 23 years. She wasn’t the only pumpkin piper on the scene.

 “So there are 16 different artists represented and they’re all here to share their version of why they did glass. So we all love glass, but there’s 16 reasons why we all do it,” said Morgan.

This year those 16 artists created over 6,500 glass pumpkins combined.

“I made about 1,100 or 1,200 hundred pieces. I’m the founder so I like to make pumpkins so why not,” said Morgan.

After holding live demonstrations and showcasing the glass pumpkins, all creations go on sale to the public. If you missed them this year, no need to worry, they’ll blow into town again next October.

Naperville News 17’s Dimitri Villanueva reports.