More than 2,000 jack-o-lanterns fill the night with light and character on two popular, illuminating nights at Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon and Washington Park Botanical Garden Friday, Oct. 14 and Saturday, Oct. 15. District 186 students, artists and the general public carved the crowd of pumpkins for the annual carillon fundraiser. Also visit the Pumpkin House featuring hand-painted plastic pumpkins (pictured above) with cartoon characters and messages designed and painted by artist Lynn Raney. Raney recreated the pumpkin caricatures from an orginial Pumpkin House exhibit inspired by his son Brian's love of Halloween in 1988. Brian died from cancer at age 15 after several years of an annual Pumpkin House display. (A few designs are pictured above.) Raney will be on-site painting. Organizers encourage people to use parking at Sacred Heart Griffin west campus and ride the free shuttle to the park. Pumpkins will be distributed Sunday, Oct. 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. They are free, but donations are welcome. A few photos from last year’s Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular are posted at www.carillon-rees.org.