Thousands of hand-carved pumpkins are glowing again along a mile-long trail at King Gillette Ranch, as Night of the Jack kicked off its ninth year Friday in Calabasas. The 2026 run stretches across 30 nights through Nov. 1, and this season brings a refreshed trail and new features, including a brand-new carnival alongside the walk-through experience.
Night of the Jack is billed as a startle-free stroll built around illuminated scenery and pumpkin carvings rather than jump scares, according to NBC Los Angeles. Co-founder Ben Biscotti said the event has become an annual tradition for many families and that the 2026 experience offers a completely new way to experience it, per the same report. Biscotti added that this year's version was reimagined with a redesigned trail, new hand-carved pumpkin scenes, lanterns, projection mapping and LED displays.
New Pumpkin Worlds and a Carnival Debut
The refreshed trail introduces pumpkin worlds inspired by mythology, the prehistoric past and other fanciful themes, alongside larger-than-life lantern installations and immersive photo spots, the outlet reports. Guests 21 and older can also duck into the Spookeasy, a bar tucked along the route.
New for 2026 is Jack's Carnival, with entry to the carnival area included in event admission and more than ten rides and attractions, including Ballistic Swings, Pirate's Revenge and a corn maze, according to Night of the Jack. Guests can purchase an optional wristband for unlimited rides and attractions, expanding the event well beyond its original walk-through format. Food trucks are also on site for hungry visitors, and general admission runs $29.35 and up, with parking charged separately, per NBC Los Angeles.
A Halloween Draw With Regional Reach
Night of the Jack has grown into one of Southern California's bigger seasonal draws, with annual attendance topping 100,000 visitors and past guests including Billie Eilish and members of the Kardashian family, according to Night of the Jack's press materials. The event was created in 2018 by production veterans Ben Biscotti, Tony Schubert and Bobby Rossi, who coordinate artists from around the country during a month-long build, as the Simi Valley Acorn has reported. The same team also produces Holiday Road, a winter light installation at the same ranch that debuted in 2020 and features more than 1 million lights along a mile-long trail, according to The Acorn.
Inside a Storied Public Parkland
King Gillette Ranch itself carries decades of history. The property was established in 1926 by disposable razor magnate King Camp Gillette, who commissioned architect Wallace Neff to design its Spanish Colonial Revival mansion and grounds, per SFGate. Today the 588-acre parkland is managed by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority in partnership with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, according to the National Park Service. The ranch's visitor center, converted from Gillette's original 1920s stables and opened in 2012, holds LEED Platinum certification as a net-zero energy building, per Modern Hiker.
Local lore ties the surrounding city's name to pumpkins: Calabasas derives from the Spanish word calabaza, traced to an 1824 incident when an Oxnard rancher's wagon overturned on El Camino Real and spilled pumpkin seeds that later sprouted along the roadway, according to the Conejo Valley Guide.
A Fatal Oak-Tree Incident
In July 2025, an 8-year-old boy was killed by a falling oak tree.
