Thousands of people descended on the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden on Sunday night, as 550 pumpkins were lit up for a magical lantern show.

Hackney Gazette: Pumpkin carving at the Dalston Eastern Curve GardenPumpkin carving at the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden (Image: Dalston Eastern Curve Garden)

Visitors wandering through the garden in Dalston Lane discovered carvings of cats, bats, ghosts and skeletons, all hidden among the trees and plants and in every nook and cranny.

Tower Bridge, a map of London and Spider Man were amongst the other imaginative creations, along with a number of ‘Trumpkins’!

Children, young people and adults had spent two days with a team of volunteers at the garden in Dalston Lane for the marathon carving sessions.

Marie Murray who organises the annual show said: “We were overwhelmed when we saw the massive queue for Sunday’s lantern show stretching all the way into Ashwin Street.

“We have added extra nightly shows to give more people a chance to enjoy the magic but still had over 5,000 people come on Sunday night to see the spectacle.

“Hackney should be very proud of all the incredibly hard-working volunteers who gave so much of their time to make children’s designs come to spooky life and of all the creative residents who carved so many amazing lanterns - the garden feels truly magical.”

The garden will be open for Pumpkin Light Ups every night from 6pm until late until Saturday October 29, when there will be a special “Halloween Night’.

The Halloween Pumpkin Lantern Show launches the annual ‘Festival of Light’, with lantern-making workshops and installations which light up the Garden throughout the winter.