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Summer in NYC is still in full swing, but that doesn’t mean we’re not already daydreaming about cooler temperatures and spookier vibes. And it looks like the Halloween season is coming a little early: The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is set to return this September in two New York locations, along with a full slate of Sleepy Hollow-themed events.
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze will be back in the Hudson Valley at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson for the 19th year, from September 15 through November 19, as well as Old Bethpage Village Restoration in Old Bethpage, Long Island for the fourth year, from September 22 through November 5.
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Both experiences will feature thousands of hand-carved jack o'lanterns set up in elaborate displays: along with annual favorites like the Statue of Liberty and the Pumpkin Planetarium, you'll find a circus sideshow, a jack o’lantern tribute to the Day of the Dead, and the country's first-ever pumpkin Ferris wheel in Hudson Valley, while Long Island attendees can be wowed by an under-the-sea installation, including a giant pumpkin octopus and a Montauk mermaid.
Along with the gorgeous gourds, New Yorkers can head to Philipsburg Manor in the historic town of Sleepy Hollow for a brand-new event, The Spirits of Sleepy Hollow Country: A Night of Legendary Magic, where master illusionists Mark Clearview and Nick Wallace will conjure up the legendary spirits of the town, including Major Andre and the Headless Horseman.
And if that's not enough chills and thrills for you, the estate of Washington Irving, a.k.a. "America’s founding father of literature," is bringing his seminally spooky 1820 short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow to life. During the day, visitors can tour Irving's home, enjoy a shadow puppet film and see a special Legend exhibit, while at nighttime, master storyteller Jonathan Kruk will do dramatic readings of the short story underneath the stars, complete with live music from Jim Keyes.
Find ticket and date information at the Historic Hudson Valley website. And check out some of the Blaze's previous pumpkin displays below!
