Editor Maria here. I knew glassblowing involved heat, but I didn't realize just how much heat until I was standing near several ovens heated to shape molten glass.

If you've ever driven past Hot Glass Alley and wondered what it's like to work with molten glass, I got to find out. The Atando Avenue studio and gallery offers classes for people who want to try glassblowing — no experience required — because even the pros are always learning.

"I've been doing this for 22 years, and discovering new things that I didn't know or learning things I haven't done before, that's probably my favorite part," Owner Jake Pfeifer told CLToday.

A person using a torch on a glass pumpkin while someone else stands and rolls it to distribute heat. — Maldonado torched the pumpkin while Pfeifer rolled the glass to even the heat. | Photo by CLTtoday

During my visit, I watched Pfeifer and gaffer Cristian Maldonado work with molten glass, transforming it into colorful pieces of glass art. Little did I realize the Hot Glass Alley team was working on something very ambitious: hundreds of glass pumpkins for its annual Pumpkin Palooza.

Pfeifer and Maldonado showed me how a pumpkin comes together: starting with hot glass, dipping it into frit, or small pieces of colored glass, and then blowing and shaping it into a round or oblong shape. All that's left is the stem.

A torch lighting up a glass stem on an iridescent glass pumpkin. — The stem was carefully rolled and placed on the glass pumpkin. | Photo by CLTtoday

Like a baked good that needs time to set, the finished gourds are placed in a 900-degree oven for 24 hours. Once they've cooled, they're ready to hit the shelves — and eventually, someone's home.

Mark your calendar. Pumpkin Palooza takes place Saturday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 27, at the studio. In addition to checking out handcrafted glass pumpkins, visitors can enjoy live glassblowing demonstrations and shop from local vendors. Did I mention it's free to attend?