This is a view of the The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. on September 18, 2019. (Photo by Tom Nycz)
Halloween season will be more magical than ever this year with two locations of the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze! In addition to returning for a 16th year to Van Cortland Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, County Executive Laura Curran and Historic Hudson Valley announced that the Old Bethpage Village Restoration (OBVR) will host the iconic Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze for the first time.
The original location, The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze® Hudson Valley, will run for a record 53 select evenings from September 18 through November 21. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze® Long Island will run for 23 nights from October 2 through November 1. Both locations feature all-ages, outdoor walk-through experiences through the wooded pathways, orchards, and gardens of historic sites. A small team of artists hand-carve more than 7,000 jacks and elaborate pumpkin sculptures at each site. Visitors will love seeing Blaze favorites, such as a giant spider web and mammoth sea serpent, plus new, site-specific installations at each location.
This is a view of the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson on September 27, 2018. (Photo by Tom Nycz)
Blaze takes place entirely outdoors, is touch-free, uses timed admission, and features a one-way walkthrough path with no places to congregate. Capacity is reduced by 67%, allowing visitors to enjoy their time as safely and socially distanced as possible. All staff and visitors must wear a mask when on site, and there will be no food and beverage available. All visitors are required to agree to Historic Hudson Valley’s COVID Courtesy Code, which includes wearing a mask and maintaining at least 6 feet of social distancing. Also returning for 2020 is Home of the ‘Legend’ on grounds of Washington Irving’s Sunnyside in Irvington. Visitors can embark on a literary-themed scavenger hunt and see a special Legend-themed exhibit. Home of the ‘Legend’ is a daytime all-ages event.
Ticket and date information
These events have limited capacity and sell out. All admissions are by advance purchase timed ticket. To further reduce staff/visitor touchpoints, no tickets are sold on site even if not sold out.
Blaze Hudson Valley dates are September 18-October 31; November 1, 6-8, 13-15, 20-21. Blaze Long Island dates are Oct 2-4, 7-11, 14-18, 21-25, 28-31; November 1. Online tickets start at $32 for adults and $24 for children 3-17, and are free for children 2 and under. Historic Hudson Valley members can attend Blaze Hudson Valley for free.
Home of the ‘Legend’ dates are September 18-20, 25-27; October 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25, 30-31 and November 1, 6-8. Online tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and children 3-17, and free for those 2 and under and Historic Hudson Valley members.
Buy tickets online at www.hudsonvalley.org or by calling 914-366-6900 ($2 per ticket surcharge for phone orders). More information about The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is available at pumpkinblaze.org. All events are held rain or shine. Proceeds support Historic Hudson Valley, the Tarrytown-based private, non-profit educational organization, and Old Bethpage Village Restoration.
Details: The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze Hudson Valley
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze Hudson Valley features illuminated, individually hand-carved jack o’ lanterns in elaborate displays which are professionally lit throughout the landscape of Van Cortlandt Manor in various themed areas.
Favorite installations, such as the Statue of Liberty and Jurassic Park, are joined this year by new creations like a fire truck making a special rescue and witches casting a spell… all made of jack o’lanterns!
A small team of Historic Hudson Valley staff and local artists carve all of the displays. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze Shop offers a selection of Blaze-specific merchandise.
Professional musician, radio personality, and Halloween fanatic Richard Christy created the soundtrack accompanying the experience. Blaze: The Soundtrack Volume I & II play throughout the event, making it a multisensory experience. Both soundtracks are available as digital downloads and streams from iTunes and Amazon.
Van Cortlandt Manor is at 525 South Riverside Avenue, just off Route 9 in Croton-on-Hudson.
