The reinvention of the common Jack O’Lantern was kicked into overdrive with the explosion of social media. Pictures from people eager to share their stencil-powered carved gourds that pay homage to everything from video games to favorite sports icons. And this is a good thing. Jack O’Lanterns are pretty damn awesome and so is the creativity and craftsmanship involved. However, every so often, something comes along and blows pretty much everything else out of the water, and like a viral snowball, the popularity grows as social sharing takes over. Take The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, which is appearing in the Hudson Valley area of upstate New York.

As the name implies, the event is simply an incredible explosion of Jack O’Lanterns–over 5000, in fact–which are used to create various monsters, dinosaurs, and various other Halloween themes. There’s even a tunnel of Jacks that needs to be seen to be appreciated. Thankfully, this is where social media kicks in nicely. The sad truth is, most of us won’t be able see the Jack O’Lantern event in person. Thanks to the power of Joshua Bousel’s Flickr account, we can live vicariously via some fantastic photography.

An example of what The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze offers:

Click to enlarge images

You owe it to yourself to pay a visit to Bousel’s Flickr page, especially if you’re fan of Jack O’Lanterns. The craftsmanship and creativity is pretty breathtaking, and it’s easy to see why people are making the trip to see these displays in person. Thankfully, social media allows those who can’t make the trip to connect to the event, if only virtually.

[All images courtesy of Joshua Bousel’s Flickr page]