As fall color begins to emerge at The Morton Arboretum, one of the season’s most colorful traditions returns Friday, Oct. 9, through Sunday, Oct. 11: the 16th annual Glass Pumpkin Patch.
More than 8,000 one-of-a-kind glass pumpkins and handcrafted pieces from 19 artists, including four new artists, will be on display in a dazzling array of colors, shapes and sizes near the Visitor Center. Visitors can watch artists transform molten glass during glassblowing demonstrations every 30 minutes Friday through Sunday and weekend flameworking demonstrations, where artists heat and shape glass rods into fall-themed miniatures, marbles and beads.
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New this year, visitors can find unique glass pumpkins and other pieces celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in the Halloween Tent, including flower and monarch designs and pumpkins with sombreros. The 2026 Signature Series, Harvest Confetti, designed by local artist Aaron Baigelman, will be unveiled at the Member Event, featuring vibrant orange, luminous gold and rich bronze topped with a curled champagne-colored stem.
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The Glass Pumpkin Patch is part of the Arboretum’s Fall Color Festival lineup, with additional seasonal coverage opportunities including the Cider and Ale Festival (Oct. 3), NEW Autumn Reserve Wine Experience (Oct. 15), Fall Color 5K Run and Walk (Oct. 24) and NEW Howl-o-Ween.
The Glass Pumpkin Patch is included with general admission, giving visitors plenty to see and do while exploring the Arboretum, including the colorful, larger-than-life sculptures of Vivid Creatures, which add a vibrant touch to the fall landscape—one of the final fall seasons to see the exhibition before it closes in March 2027.
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For those planning their leaf-peeping visits, the Arboretum’s weekly Fall Color Report shares the latest updates on where to find the best color across the grounds.
