'Gardens Aglow' Will Return To Essex County With Halloween Display: 2025 Events

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The public will be invited to view an elaborate display of carved botanic, floral and Halloween-themed pumpkins created by students when “Gardens Aglow” returns to the Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Gardens.

The free event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17 at the gardens, located at 474 Upper Mountain Avenue in Montclair. A rain date is set for Saturday, Oct. 18.

Local high schools have been invited to demonstrate and showcase their creativity and carve or decorate pumpkins for the event. All jack-o-lanterns will be lit with candles and displayed near the flower beds. Seasonal refreshments will be available.

For more information, call 973-268-3500.

According to a news release from the county, the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens were initially conceived in 1927 as a tribute to Frank Presby, an active local citizen who was an advocate of the arts and horticulture with a particular fondness of irises. He served on the Boards of the Montclair Art Museum and The American Iris Society. The Citizens Committee was formed simultaneously to be the overseers of the gardens and appointed Barbara Walther to chair the organization and curate the iris collection, a role she voluntarily played for 50 years. She collaborated with the American Iris Society to develop a collection that would not only represent the entire recorded history of the iris dating back to 1500, but also ensured the addition of the newest iris introductions every year. The gardens are now a living museum of iris and, as the largest public display of iris in the world, boast a collection of over 10,000 irises of 3,200 named cultivars. Presby showcases the Rainbow on the Hill of 100,000 blooms every May drawing thousands of admirers from around the world.

Essex County preserved the Iris Gardens and the Walther House, adjacent to the gardens, by adding the entire enclave to the historic Essex County Park System in April 2009. The Citizens Committee collaborates with the County by serving as the non-profit fundraising arm to financially support the annual costs associated with staffing and operating the iris gardens. The gardens and Walther House have been listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places since 1982.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.