If there’s one thing that screams Halloween in Maine it’s the appearance of pumpkins. Pumpkin patches, pumpkin-flavored everything and pumpkins sitting outside the grocery store ready to be picked up and loaded into the car. The large orange fruit (or is it a vegetable?) means it’s fall and just around the corner is Halloween. One of the best ways to prepare for the season is by carving our pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. The only thing more celebratory is attending this jack-o-lantern festival in Freeport, which also happens to be the best pumpkin glow in Maine. It’s a fun day in one of the state’s most lovely towns and it supports a great cause.

Camp Sunshine at Sebago Lake / Facebook
Most days of the week, Freeport is the shopping capital of Maine. But on October 20th, the town lights up for a different reason!
L.L. Bean, Kenneth S. Barron, and ESR Photography
The Camp Sunshine Pumpkin Festival has been offering kids and grown-ups the chance to come out and carve pumpkins, eat treats and enjoy live music since 2003.
Camp Sunshine at Sebago Lake / Facebook
Each year folks gather in town to support Camp Sunshine, an organization offering a retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. All proceeds from this year's event go towards helping send more families to the only year-round camp of this kind in America. Right here in Maine.
Camp Sunshine at Sebago Lake / Facebook
The day begins at noon with children's games at Pumpkin Playland and pumpkin carving until 5 p.m.
L.L. Bean, Kenneth S. Barron, and ESR Photography

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There's also fun live music and an opportunity to buy festival gear and treats.
L.L. Bean, Kenneth S. Barron, and ESR Photography
This year, from 1 to 4 p.m., guests can take part in the Mad Science of Maine Slime Making Booth.

And be sure to check out the costume parade at 3 p.m.
The day's activities are fun and festive, but the real beauty begins at 5 p.m. when over 10,000 jack-o-lanterns are lit up throughout Freeport.
Camp Sunshine at Sebago Lake / Facebook
The pumpkins show what can be achieved when folks come together for a common good.
Camp Sunshine at Sebago Lake / Facebook
And it's truly mesmerizing to walk through the area enjoying the display of lights.
Camp Sunshine at Sebago Lake / Facebook
This year's event is set to be the best yet, with even more fun activities for kids and grown-ups and pumpkins as far as the eyes can see!
Camp Sunshine at Sebago Lake / Facebook

Camp Sunshine offers retreat-style camp experiences for kids and families facing life threatening illnesses. The experiences are free for families to attend, which is why events like this are so important to them. You can learn more about Camp Sunshine here.

The Camp Sunshine Pumpkin Festival takes place on the L.L. Bean campus on October 20th, 2018 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Donations can be made in advance here and no registration is necessary to attend. For a schedule of events, click here.

Driving through the most haunted town in Maine is another great way to prepare for Halloween, albeit slightly less lovely than a beautiful pumpkin festival. Learn more about the town here!

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