The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze Returns Sep. 18

NEWS RELEASE
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze Returns Sep. 18
The fall tradition adds a second location for the 2020 season; Boosting local communities and keeping visitors safe

SLEEPY HOLLOW, NY (Aug 25, 2020) — 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 16^th 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.

“My team worked hard to bring this extraordinary event to Nassau County, continuing my efforts to expand on the variety of cultural,  memorable and safe activities available to residents close to home – making the County a spectacular place to live, work, and play,”  said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.  “OBVR provides a perfect 19th century backdrop for this magical and spooky event which we hope will also help spur economic activity in our local communities.  I want to thank Historic Hudson Valley for working with us and choosing Nassau County to expand your iconic event.”

“After 15 sold-out seasons at Van Cortlandt Manor in Westchester, we are thrilled to partner with Nassau County on our first expansion of The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze,” said Historic Hudson Valley President Waddell Stillman. “Old Bethpage Village Restoration is an ideal location and the mission of both historic organizations are completely aligned. With new site-specific installations that celebrate the region, together we are bringing the magic of Blaze to a whole new audience.”

The health and safety of our visitors, employees, and community is our highest priority. Historic Hudson Valley and OBVR have modified these experiences for 2020 and are operating in strict compliance with New York State-issued “Low-Risk Outdoor Arts & Entertainment Guidelines,” which are available at forward.ny.gov.

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.

Blaze Founding Sponsor is Entergy. Blaze Presenting Sponsor is Westchester Medical Center. Blaze Contributing Sponsors are J.P. Morgan Chase and Edge-on-Hudson. Additional support comes from I Love New York and New York State Council on the Arts.

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.

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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.

 

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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.

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Details: The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze Long Island
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze Long Island features illuminated, individually hand-carved jack o’ lanterns in more than two dozen elaborate displays professionally lit throughout the landscape of Old Bethpage Village Restoration in various themed areas.

Favorite installations, such as the Pumpkin Planetarium, make an appearance, along with site-specific installations such as NASA’s Lunar Module and a 12-foot tall ‘Welcome to Long Island” postcard.

As in the Hudson Valley Blaze, a small team of Historic Hudson Valley staff and local artists carve all of the displays, which are augmented by Christy’s soundscapes.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration is at 1303 Round Swamp Road in Old Bethpage.

Details: Home of the ‘Legend’
Sunnyside celebrates its connection to Washington Irving’s classic tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, at this family friendly daytime event. Home of the ‘Legend’ includes a literary-themed scavenger hunt and a Legend-themed exhibit.

Sunnyside is on West Sunnyside Lane, off Route 9 in Tarrytown.

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About Historic Hudson Valley
Historic Hudson Valley, Westchester County’s largest cultural organization, educates and entertains more than 325,000 visitors a year through school programs, tours of five National Historic Landmarks, and Halloween themed experiences, which have earned a national reputation as among the best in the country.

About Old Bethpage Village Restoration
Old Bethpage Village Restoration is a living history museum that provides guests the opportunity to step back in time to the island’s agrarian past. The Village consists of homes, barns and other buildings dating back to 1765. Costumed interpreters describe life as it was in the 19th century and historic trade smiths demonstrate various trades.

Also on the grounds of Old Bethpage Village Restoration is a Co-Op Farm and farmers market, which brings organic and local food to Long Islanders and the Museum of American Armor which is home to armored vehicles dedicated to remembering our servicemen and women who have fought bravely for our country.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration is also the home of the Long Island Fair.