If you guys are anything like me, you’re akin to a kid in a candy store the second the calendar hits October 1. Who doesn’t love the crisp fall air, the changing leaves, an extra hour of sleep, carving pumpkins, pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin pie, pumpkin … anything!?

Which is why I’m ecstatic that my sister dragged the family to The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at the Van Cortlandt Manor upstate. I cannot tell a lie — at first I was dubious. I didn’t actually believe that walking around and looking at some carved, lit pumpkins could be cool.

I can now admit that I was way wrong.

This exhibit features over 5,000 individually hand-carved pumpkins made into pretty much everything you can imagine.

Combine that with pumpkin and cider donuts and hot apple cider — which they also had — and you’ve pretty much got my perfect fall evening.

It’s hard to take photos of carved, lit pumpkins. In the dark. On your iPhone. But I gave it a whirl. Here’s some of what we saw last weekend ….

The exhibit runs for another two weeks — but good luck getting tickets, because they’re pretty much sold out. Next year, however, if you happen to be in the area during the time it’s running, I would highly recommend checking it out!

On the way back into the city early the following morning (to help my friend shop for a wedding dress … she found one!), I snapped this picture from the train:

Sheesh I love this time of year. I mean … come on now.

It’s also worth mentioning that on Sunday we watched Chris’s uncle run the New York City marathon (he came all the way from Australia to run) …. and he got a five-minute PR! Way to go, Matt!

Bis bald, friends! Hope everyone is making the most of these gorgeous fall days while we have ’em!