By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
Historic Hudson Valley has brought its enormously popular “The Great Jack o’ Lantern Pumpkin Blaze” extravaganza to Long Islandto our most fabulous living history destination, Old Bethpage Restoration Village, for the fifth year. They have brought the extraordinary artistry, charm and delight, and kept Sleepy Hollow’s Headless Horseman, but have tailored the displays and story around Long Island’s history, heritage and culture.
On view on select nights through November 3, this is a must-see attraction/experience that delights all ages, with more humor than horror.
Old Bethpage Village Restoration, a 209-acre living history museum with homes and buildings that date back to the 19th century, is the perfect setting – the stories marvelously weave a context of reality to the fantasy, which makes them even more spooky.
Hewlett House is a stand-in for the Amityville Horror, with similar architecture, but has its own spectral story. The pumpkin cemetery is peopled by the Hewlett family, a prominent farming family who remained loyal to the Crown during the American Revolution whose farm was built in 1794, near Pequot Lane in Woodbury (the house was moved to a hilltop at Old Bethpage in the 1970s). Their actual house is one of several historic houses in Old Bethpage said to be haunted.
The Doomsday Clock outside the house, is an enormous pendulum clock made of pumpkins such as would have been popular in the 19th century and wealthy Long Island families like the Hewletts and Laytons might well have had one. But this one, standing 12 feet tall, features a single hand, ominously counting back the hour.
And in 1658, some 35 years before the Salem witch trials, 16-year old Elizabeth Gardiner Howell of East Hampton was accused of witchcraft – but she was acquitted in her trial.
And the Blaze Long Island Hall of Fame inside the Visitors Center, before you start your walk on the trail, features intricate pumpkin sculptures of famous Long Islanders (Natalie Portman and Jerry Seinfeld are the newest, joining Billy Joel, Joan Jett, Sue Bird, and Dr. J).
You walk the pumpkin trail through this 19th century village and see more than 7,000 hand-carved jack o’lanterns, all carved by its team of artisans, each one unique.
The structures – all built with carved and lighted pumpkins – are absolutely incredible: a display featuring a police car, ambulance, firetruck, firefighter spraying a hose and a firefighter climbing a ladder; a windmill; a Statue of Liberty as tall as a tree, a lighthouse with a working light (Montauk is Long Island’s most famous but this pays tribute to the lighthouse commissioned by President George Washington himself), an 80-foot long circus train with animal skeletons as passengers (a nod to Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey bringing its circus train to Long Island in 1972 to the newly opened Nassau Coliseum), a working carousel with horse skeletons.
The displays pay homage to Long Island’s farming heritage, its maritime heritage (a whaling center!), and its cultural contributions, from the inventor of one of the first computer games, to the factoid that “Jaws” was inspired by the capture of a 4500 lb white shark off Long Island.
There are also a series of displays that trace Long Island’s history, from the Native American tribes who first inhabited, to Long Island’s role in aviation history (Lindbergh took off on his historic flight in his Spirit of St. Louis to Paris in 1927 from Roosevelt Field, and nuclear physicist William Higinbotham’s of the Brookhaven National lab who in 1958 arguably developed the first video game, Tennis for Two, a primitive version of Pong and precursor to Pac-Man and Mario Bros.
Among the new displays this year is a stunning tribute to the Day of the Dead and a moving ferris wheel.
The sound effects, original musical soundtrack, lights, colors, motion of some of the larger exhibits, even smoke effects and bubbles, are pure delight. The ambiance in such a historic, rural setting is just phenomenal.
You also get to see actual pumpkin carving and get to talk with the carvers and see the 100+-pound carved winners, a marvelous Blaze Boo-tique featuring seasonal gifts and merchandise, while Café Blaze, features fall treats like cider donuts and pumpkin beer.
Advance online purchase of timed tickets is required; no tickets are sold at the venue; capacity is limited and prices increase if you purchase on the same day.There are also FLEX tickets that allow you to visit at any time, even when it is sold out. (For a small fee, you can exchange a ticket up to 24 hours in advance.) New this year is a $10 flat rate children’s tickets (ages 3-17), valid for every date and every time slot.
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is open select evenings Oct. 4-Nov. 3 including Halloween.
It’s a pleasant walk along a dirt trail (about half the size of the Village), suitable for strollers – allocate 45-90 minutes to enjoy. (I suggest families try to come as early as possible so the kids aren’t too tired; others come later when it may be less busy, like 8:30 pm – last entry at 9 pm.
Proceeds support the education and preservation efforts of Old Bethpage Village Restoration and Historic Hudson Valley.
The original Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, celebrating 20 “gourd-eous years” this year, is already underway at Historic Hudson Valley’s Van Cortlandt Manor, Croton-on-Hudson through Nov. 17 (advance purchase tickets necessary, https://pumpkinblaze.org/blaze-hudson-valley.html). And other special Halloween events are underway at Philipsburg Manor and Sunnywide (historichudsonvalley.org)
Sponsored by Catholic Health, the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is presented through a partnership of Historic Hudson Valley, Old Bethpage Village Restoration and Nassau County which owns and operates OBVR, with support of the NYS Council of the Arts, NYS Economic Development, and I Love NY.
By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
Halloween has become a national festival of fantasy and imagination. Here are some of our favorites, from Salem, Massachusetts, to Sleepy Hollow, Historic Hudson Valley, to Old Bethpage,Long Island to New York City’s Village Halloween Parade.
Salem Haunted Happenings
Salem arguably is the birthplace of Halloween festivities, and while the spirits of the season occupy the village year round, they get into a frenzied gear during Salem Haunted Happenings. Because of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, Salem has the added authenticity and depth to understand how women, in particular, were persecuted as witches (the patriarchy would particularly go after midwives and healers), so Salem understandably later became a haven and a hub for modern-day witchcraft (paganism), which has its roots in women being healers and midwives. You can experience most of this (the whimsy and fantasy but also the sober tragedy) year-round, but it all takes on special resonance – and yes, festiveness – at Halloween.
There are haunted houses, ghost tours, museums and attractions (the famous House of Seven Gables was the centerpiece of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel. Hawthorne’s great-grandfather, Colonel John Hathorne, was the judge that found over a 100 women guilty of witchcraft and oversaw at least 20 hangings), psychics, fairs, séances, trolley and walking tours, recreations of the famous trial.
Salem is one of my favorite destinations. Year round happenings can be found at Destination Salem, https://www.salem.org/.
Historic Hudson Valley’s Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze
The original Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, celebrating 20 “gourd-eous years” this year, is already underway at Historic Hudson Valley’s Van Cortlandt Manor, Croton-on-Hudson – a testament to the popularity of the event which continues through Nov. 17 (advance purchase tickets necessary).
Located on the grounds of an 18th-century estate on the banks of the Croton River in Westchester, Van Cortlandt Manor is the picturesque setting for this awe-inspiring fall event. Visitors meander through the heritage gardens filled with hand-carved jack o’lanterns, past the brick ferry house, where they well might get a glimpse of the Headless Horseman, and see the light show at the manor house.
This year, celebrate the festival’s 20th year with a giant birthday cake and Celebration Arch; step into the Gourd & Goblet Tavern, a new VIP experience on the pumpkin trail; spot the giant Kraken rising from the Croton River; meet life-sized dinosaurs; try not to get stuck in the 24-foot spider web, gaze at the stars in the Pumpkin Planetarium, and see a working carousel; get fall-themed sweets and snacks at Café Blaze; and browse the Blaze Boo-tique to find exclusive souvenirs and local finds.
Since 2005, more than 2 million visitors have delighted in this walk-through experience, where thousands of hand-carved pumpkins in elaborate displays light up the night. Now in two New York locations, in Westchester at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson and in Nassau County at Old Bethpage Village Restoration in Old Bethpage, this fun fall festival features larger-than-life installations, along with synchronized lighting, and an all-original soundtrack.
Proceeds support the education and preservation efforts of Historic Hudson Valley.
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” as you’ve never heard it before:Irving’s ‘Legend’ returns reimagined this fall. Performed outdoors under the stars at Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, master storyteller Jonathan Kruk casts a spell with his dramatic performances of the classic tale. Live music and sound effects by Jim Keyes and an appearance from the Headless Horseman himself make this a spooky spectacular experience for all ages. This experience takes place outdoors in the evening and is seated, but also requires some walking. Tickets $35/adult, $34/seniors, YA, $30/child. Advance purchase tickets required; no tickets sold on site. Select dates from Sept. 27-Nov. 3 (Sunnyside, 3 W Sunnyside Lane, Irvington, NY 10533, https://hudsonvalley.org/events/irvings-legend/)
A Night of Folklore, Fortune, and Festivities: Discover delightful and mysterious creatures who croon creepy tunes, tell your fortune and tall-ish tales of legends and lore, and come face-to-face with the Headless Horseman. Shop for Sleepy Hollow swag at the Halloween night market and enjoy cocktails, mocktails and snacks. Select dates Sept. 27 – Nov. 3 ($30/adults, $29/seniors, young adults, $25/child).(Philipsburg Manor: 381 N Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY, https://hudsonvalley.org/events/twilight-village-at-sleepy-hollow/)
Night of Legendary Magic Featuring Mark Clearview & Nick Wallace:Journey with master illusionists into the realm of the unknown at this spooky supernatural spectacle as they communicate with the spirits of Sleepy Hollow Country like Hulda, Major Andre, and the Headless Horseman himself. New Spirits of Sleepy Hollow Premium option: cabaret style seating with at-seat drink service in the first two rows of the theater. Strongly recommended for ages 10+ only; limited seating. Select dates, Sept. 27-Nov. 3, tickets starting at $60.(Philipsburg Manor: 381 N Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY, https://hudsonvalley.org/events/the-spirits-of-sleepy-hollow-country/)
Walk In the Footsteps of Ichabod Crane! Fun and friendly tour guides take you on a colorful, photo op filled, immersive romp through historic Philipsburg Manor at the historic heart of Sleepy Hollow, where you will see key landmarks of this special place made famous by Washington Irving in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. This one-hour tour takes you through the hidden corners in the landscape at Philipsburg Manor that inspired settings in Irving’s amazing tale. You’ll encounter a variety of immersive scenes. This illuminating daytime experience is the easiest and most fun way to get deep inside the true Legend! Discovery Walk ticket also includes admission to a Philipsburg Manor tour, before or after your Discovery Walk, subject to availability. (Recommended for ages 10+ and requires negotiating steep, mixed terrain, not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs.).Select dates Sept. 27-Nov. 3 (adults $40, seniors/young adults $39, children $35). Philipsburg Manor: 381 N Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY, https://hudsonvalley.org/events/legend-of-sleepy-hollow-discovery-walk/
Historic Hudson Valley has brought The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze to Long Island’s Old Bethpage Village Restoration, the 209-acre living museum village for its 5th year, presented by Catholic Health. Old Bethpage is the ideal setting for Nassau County’s largest fall festival event, The spectacular walk-through Halloween experience features thousands of hand-carved pumpkins in elaborate displays that pay homage to Long Island culture, heritage, history and landmarks, as well as the Halloween season, complete with motion, lighting, and original soundtrack. Stroll the pumpkin trail past 19th century buildings, through historic barns. Enjoy pumpkin carving and see the 100+-pound carved winners, the Blaze Boo-tique featuring seasonal gifts and merchandise, and Café Blaze, an on-site café featuring fall treats like cider donuts and pumpkin beer.
$10 flat rate children’s tickets (ages 3-17), valid for every date and every time slot.
New displays designed to wow (not scare) the whole family, including a moving Ferris wheel with pumpkins and Day of the Dead tribute.
Intricate pumpkin sculptures of Natalie Portman and Jerry Seinfeld join other Long Island icons, such as Billy Joel, Joan Jett, Sue Bird, and Dr. J in Blaze’s Long Island Hall of Fame.
A new Celebration Arch which serves as a tribute to Blaze: Long Island’s anniversary, ideal for photo ops.
Find your favorite classic Hollywood monster in the Pumpkin Planterium
Advance online purchase of timed tickets or FLEX anytime tickets is required; no tickets are sold at the venue. Select evenings Oct. 4-Nov. 3 including Halloween. Proceeds support the education and preservation efforts of Old Bethpage Village Restoration and Historic Hudson Valley.
Old Bethpage Village Restoration, 1303 Round Swamp Rd, Old Bethpage, NY 11804,https://pumpkinblaze.org/blaze-long-island.html.
Boo at the Zoo Returns to the Bronx Zoo
Bronx Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo takes place weekends through October 27 and Columbus Day, October 14 (photo: WCS)
The Bronx Zoo’s favorite fall tradition, Boo at the Zoo, takes place Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 28 to Oct. 27 (and Monday, October 14th), when zoo guests can get into the spooky spirit as new and returning Halloween festivities come to life throughout the park.
Fall is one of the best times to spend the day at the Bronx Zoo as stunning autumn colors come to life across its 265-acre hard wood forest and guests enjoy the beauty of nature and wildlife here in New York City. Set in peak leaf peeping season, Boo at the Zoo is the daytime fall event which has enchanted guests for years and is back with entertainment and activities that are perfect for all ages, which is addition to the Zoo’s nighttime event, Pumpkin Nights.
Boo at the Zoo’s new thrills include:
Trick or Truth Maze: Explore a maze and complete a scavenger hunt to learn about so-called “spooky” animals and bust some creepy myths. (Astor Court from 11am-4pm)
Face Painting: Transform into a spooky or sweet creature at the Butterfly Patio Pad with free face-painting for children ages 3+, 11am – 4pm.
Creepy Crawly Mystery Wall: Touch and feel mysterious textures and materials to learn about animals and other creatures.
Halloween Mash Up: Visitors of all ages can dance, sing, and play with the zoo’s fan favorite emcee at Astor Court, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30
Boo at the Zoo Mural: Draw a favorite animal or spooky creature at the Boo at the Zoo mural at Astor Court from 11am – 4pm.
Other Boo at the Zoo activities taking over the park include:
Costume Parade: Costumed entertainment by animal-themed stilt walkers and Halloween puppets. Guests in Halloween costume join the parade (Astor Court at 12, 1, 2pm)
Halloween Crafts: A fan-favorite activity of decorating spooky creature puppets at Giraffe Patio from 11am-4pm, along with the Costume Parade.
Magic & Mind Reading: The popular magician is back with an animal-inspired magic and mind reading. (Grizzly Corner at 11am, 12, 2, 3, 4pm)
Pumpkin Carving Demos: Expert artists create giant animals and intricate scenes out of pumpkins at Dancing Crane Pavilion from 11am-4pm (speed carving also taking place at 11:30am and 2:30pm!).
Wildlife Theater: ‘The Wildlife Witch’s Super Scary Halloween Show,’ a funny short musical featuring a witch and all her creepy crawly friends, takes place at Giraffe Corner at 10:45am, 11:30am, 12:30, 2:30, 3:15 & 4pm.
Spooky Stories to Tickle Your Spine: Animal-themed folklore and storytelling at Grizzly Corner; 11:30am, 12:30, 2:30, 3:30pm.
Boo Playground: Halloween-themed lawn games at Astor Court from 11am-4pm.
Extinct Animal Graveyard: The eerie graveyard of animal species that have gone extinct with education about how to prevent it from happening in the future (Mouse House Lawn, 10am – 5pm)
Pumpkin Trail: Hundreds of expertly carved pumpkins (Rhino Trail from 10am – 5pm)
In addition to Boo at the Zoo, Pumpkin Nights, back for its second year, lights up the zoo after dark with 5,000 animal-themed jack o’lanterns. (Thursdays – Sundays, Sept. 26-Oct. 13, 7-10pm, and Oct. 17-27 6:30-10pm. )
RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns,featuring what it claims is the world’s longest Jack O’Lantern Trail, returns for its 11th season with 10,000 illuminated objects including 7,000 hand-carved jack o’lanterns, 3,000 specialty lanterns, and hundreds of family-friendly Halloween-themed visual displays. This year RISE will be open only 18 select nights between Oct. 4-28.
Discount tickets available by obtaining a promocode at site.
Advanced purchase tickets are required. Tickets are not sold at the door. All tickets are sold here (https://www.jackolanterns.com/cart?promo=GC2024) (High-demand early timeslots sell out each year, most several weeks in advance, so we recommend purchasing your tickets as early as possible so you can get the date and time of your choice.
RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts, 185 Colonial Springs Road, Wheatley Heights, NY 11798
New York City’s celebration of fantasy, the Village Halloween Parade, is celebrating its 51st anniversary this year with the theme, “Meow.”
“Hallow’s Eve belongs to us, as it always has – to the witch and the Black Cat, to the solitary wise-woman on the outskirts of town (or the upstairs apartment or that white house) and her shape-shifting familiar, to all of us who walk alone and dance together in velvet furs and sharpened claws,” writes Jeanne Fleming, Artistic and Producing Director, announcing this year’s theme. “New York’s Halloween Parade calls on Cat Ladies of every purr-suasion to don your finest tails and whiskers and join the Ball. Led by the puppet creations of Official Parade Puppeteers Processional Arts, whose luminous sweepers return to conjure a quadrille of giant cats, let us take a playful swipe at those who would cross our path – and revel in all that makes us uniquely, inscrutably, un-Cat-egorizably fabulous…. each in our own way, reflecting the tumult of the last few years, and inviting self-reflection.”
“Turns out NYC is the epicenter for Cat Ladies!” So, the Parade invites Cat Ladies and Cat Lovers of all stripes and patterns to the Parade. There will be a special section of the Parade for CAT LADIES (must be in costume). This special section comes with after party tickets, Choreography, chants, a TV appearance, a prime place in the Parade line up and a contest to win a spot on a Parade Float.
For those eager to take part or watch in person, this iconic New York City event kicks off at 7 pm ET on Thursday, October 31, 2024, starting from Spring St. and traveling north on Sixth Avenue from Canal Street to 18th Street. The parade is FREE for all to view or join IN COSTUME! (Tickets for special experiences are available.).
Started by a Greenwich Village mask maker and puppeteer Ralph Lee in 1973, the Parade began as a walk from house to house in his neighborhood for his children and their friends. After the second year of this local promenade, Theater for the New City stepped in and produced the event on a larger scale as part of their City in the Streets program. Today the Parade is the largest celebration of its kind in the world and has been picked by Festivals International as “The Best Event in the World” for October 31.
Now, 51 years later, the Parade draws more than 70,000 costumed participants and some 2 million spectators, including television-viewing audience, live on NY1 beginning at 8 pm.
In 1994, the Mayor of the City of New York issued a Proclamation honoring the Village Halloween Parade for 20 years of bringing everyone in the City together in a joyful and creative way and being a boon to the economic life of the City. “New York is the world’s capital of creativity and entertainment. The Village Halloween Parade presents the single greatest opportunity for all New Yorkers to exhibit their creativity in an event that is one-of-a-kind, unique and memorable every year. New Yorkers of all ages love Halloween, and this delightful event enables them to enjoy it every year and join in with their own special contributions. The Halloween Parade in Greenwich Village is a true cultural treasure.”
Join hundreds of puppets, 50 bands representing music from around the world, dancers, artists, and thousands of other New Yorkers in costumes of their own creation in the nation’s most wildly creative public participatory event in the greatest city in the world!
The 45th annual, iconic New York City Village Halloween Parade brought out thousands of costumed participants around the theme, “I AM a Robot!”
“With artificial intelligences learning, adapting, interpreting and reacting as humans do, the times we live in can be overwhelming,” said Jeanne Fleming, Artistic/Producing Director of New York’s Village Halloween Parade. “This traditional and beloved event aspires to bring folks into their creative imagination—celebrating that quality that differentiates us from robots—and by extension make the world a better place. We as New Yorkers and those visiting the Big Apple can come together, affirm our identity, block out the distractions, focus on joy and inhabit the streets of New York LIVE.”
“The 2018 Village Halloween Parade celebrates what makes us human by exploring how we remake ourselves. For our part, we will deploy a floating phalanx of cybernetic figures, each tethered by glowing wires to its human controller to evoke the increasingly complex strands of identity that entangle man with machine. We invite all of our Halloween makers and marchers to join our positronic collective, expressing your inner cyborgs for an evening of robotic revelry as we employ our most uniquely human qualities–dreaming, fantasizing, creating–to do our best robot impersonations.”
The theme is timely, considering 2018 is also the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s publication of “Frankenstein”.
Grand Marshal Machine Dazzle led the VIP Robot Section.
Named as The Greatest Event on Earth by Festivals International for October 31
Attended by over 2 million people, seen by over 1 million on TV.
The nation’s only major night Parade.
Listed as one of the 100 Things to do Before You Die.
Picked by Events International as The Greatest Event on Earth on October 31, and ranked 3rd by Citysearch as the best event in New York City.
Ranked by Biz Bash as one of the top 10 events in NYC.
Recipient of the Municipal Arts Society of New York’s Award for making a major contribution to the cultural life of New York City.
Recipient of a major grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in recognition of Longtime Artistic Achievement.
Recipient of the Mayor’s Tourism Grant in recognition of the Parade’s major impact on the economic life of New York City and grants from the Manhattan Borough President’s Tourism Initiative.
Started by Greenwich Village mask maker and puppeteer in 1974, the Parade began as a walk from house to house in his neighborhood for his children and their friends.
After the second year of this local promenade, Theater for the New City stepped in and produced the event on a larger scale as part of their City in the Streets program. That year the Parade went through many more streets in Greenwich Village and attracted larger participation because of the involvement of the Theater.
After the third year, the Parade formed itself into a not-for-profit organization, discontinued its association with Theater for the New City and produced the Parade on its own.
The Village Halloween Parade has been a significant factor in the revitalization of the city and its spirit.
It also affords an opportunity for political expression.
SLEEPY HOLLOW, NY — Halloween in Sleepy Hollow Country is legendary, and this year, introduces new events including The Unsilent Picture. Historic Hudson Valley’s fall events, the largest in the tri-state area kick off Friday, Sept. 28, take place on selected evenings through Saturday, Nov. 24, and are expected to draw more than 250,000 visitors,
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze®, the Hudson Valley’s biggest all-ages fall extravaganza, will run for a record 45 select evenings from late September through Thanksgiving weekend. The walk-through experience lights up the wooded pathways, orchards, and gardens of historic Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., where a small team of artists hand-carve more than 7,000 jacks and elaborate pumpkin sculptures. Visitors will see Blaze favorites, such as a giant spider web and the mammoth sea serpent. New additions include a medieval castle guarded by a flock of jack o’lantern owls, a functioning windmill, and a full set of Instagrammable zodiac signs all made of jack o’lanterns. (Van Cortlandt Manor is at 525 South Riverside Avenue, just off Route 9 in Croton-on-Hudson.)
Horseman’s Hollow takes Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” to its most terrifying extremes. Visitors walk a haunted trail where creatures lurk in the shadows, ready to strike fear into the hearts of those brave enough to venture into the darkness. Professional actors, award-winning feature-film makeup artists, and state-of-the-art special effects make the Horseman’s Hollow experience all too real. This 16-night haunted attraction at Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., is recommended for ages 10 and up.
Also at Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow is The Unsilent Picture, a brand-new event for 2018. The immersive theater experience features an original black and white film starring Tony Award-winning actor Bill Irwin, accompanied by live music and a Foley artist. The movie, which was commissioned by Historic Hudson Valley and shot on location in buildings at Van Cortlandt Manor, is the center of this 16-night experience. It is recommended for ages 10 and up and contains scenes of drinking alcohol, smoking and snuff tobacco use, implied violence, and mature themes. (Philipsburg Manor is at 381 North Broadway (Route 9) in Sleepy Hollow.)
There are more opportunities to be captivated by Irving’s ‘Legend’ than ever before. Master storytellers Jonathan Kruk and Jim Keyes, accompanied by live organ music, bring to life The Legend of Sleepy Hollow during 45-minute afternoon and evening performances at Sleepy Hollow’s circa-1685 Old Dutch Church. Irving’s ‘Legend’ runs for 16 select dates in October and is recommended for ages 10 and up. The circa-1685 stone church is across the street from Philipsburg Manor, where visitors will park. Weekend afternoon performances are by Jim Keyes and weekday and weekend evening performances are by Jonathan Kruk.
Home of the ‘Legend’ is a daytime, all-ages experience at Washington Irving’s Sunnyside homestead in Tarrytown, N.Y. Visitors can tour the author’s home, embark on a literary-themed scavenger hunt, see a shadow puppet performance, and take part in historic games and Halloween-themed art activities. (Sunnyside is on West Sunnyside Lane, off Route 9 in Tarrytown.)
All events are held rain or shine. Proceeds support Historic Hudson Valley, the Tarrytown-based private, non-profit educational organization that owns and operates the historic sites that host these events.
These events have limited capacity and sell out. All admissions are by advance purchase timed ticket.
Blaze dates are Sept. 28-30; Oct. 4-31; and Nov. 1-4, 7-11, 15-17, 23-24. Online tickets are $22 for adults ($27 on Fridays and Saturdays), $16 for children 3-17 ($20 on Fridays and Saturdays), and free for children under 3 and Historic Hudson Valley members.
Horseman’s Hollow dates are Oct. 5-7, 12-14, 19-21, 25-31. Online tickets are $20 ($25 on Saturdays). Fast Track, a $15 per ticket upgrade, lets visitors skip the line in their time slot. Historic Hudson Valley members receive a $5 per ticket discount.
The Unsilent Picture dates are Oct. 5-7, 12-14, 19-21, 25-31. Online tickets are $18. Historic Hudson Valley members receive a $5 per ticket discount.
Irving’s ‘Legend’ dates are Oct. 5-7, 12-14, 19-21, 25-31. Seating is very limited and there are three performances on weekday evenings and six performances on weekends. Online tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for children under 18. Historic Hudson Valley members receive a $5 per ticket discount.
Home of the ‘Legend’ dates are Sept. 29-30; Oct. 1, 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, 27-28. Online tickets are $16 for adults, $12 for seniors, $8 for children 3-17, and free for those under 3 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 and for tickets purchased onsite, if available).
Haunted Happenings in Salem
Probably the epicenter of Halloween is Salem and to accommodate all the people who want to experience its annual Haunted Happenings festival (more than 500,000 come from around the world for the festival), the entire month of October is devoted to it. Events include a Grand Parade, the Haunted Biz Baz Street Fair, Family Film Nights on Salem Common, costume balls, ghost tours, haunted houses, live music, and chilling theatrical presentations.
Classic experiences include:
Cry Innocent: The People vs. Bridget Bishop, Old Town Hall, 32 Derby Square, daily thru October. The year is 1692. Bridget Bishop has been accused of witchcraft and you are on the Puritan jury. Hear the historical testimonies, cross-examine the witnesses and decide the verdict. Is Bridget Bishop capable of witchcraft? The outdoor arrest scene begins approximately 15 minutes before show time.
Spirits of the Gables: Get swept into Hawthorne’s tale of guilt, greed and revenge as the characters from The House of the Seven Gables (1851), come to life and recount their stories while you walk through the very house that inspired Hawthorne’s timeless novel.
Legacy of the Hanging Judge takes visitors back through Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birth home to the events of the infamous Salem Witch Trials, through the eyes of the author, whose own ancestor, Judge John Hathorne had a hand to play in the tragic events of 1692. The 35-minute performances begin every 10 minutes in The Nathaniel Hawthorne birth house. Combination tickets available. Reservations highly recommended.
House of the Seven Gables: Discover 330 years of Salem’s history as you experience the museum and collection of historic buildings. Built in 1668, this is the oldest surviving 17th century wooden mansion in New England. The House of the Seven Gables inspired author Nathaniel Hawthorne to write his legendary novel of the same name. (House Of Seven Gables, 115 Derby St. 978-744-0991)
The Witch House, home of Judge Jonathan Corwin, is the only structure still standing in Salem with direct ties to the Witchcraft Trials of 1692. Corwin was called upon to investigate the claims of diabolical activity when a surge of witchcraft accusations arose. He served on the court which ultimately sent nineteen to the gallows. 310 1/2 Essex St. (978) 744-8815
Witch Dungeon Museum. Experience the acclaimed performance of a Witch trial adapted from the 1692 historical transcripts. Most chilling is that it is real. 16 Lynde St. (978) 741-3570.
Enhance your paranormal experience with a stay at the Hawthorne Hotel, one of Historic Hotels of America’s most haunted member hotels. Built in 1925, in the city notorious for the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, the hotel has ghost stories of its own, mostly attributed to the sea captains who were returning to their gathering place. In particular, rooms 621 and 325 have had reports of lights turning off and on and a general uneasy feeling throughout the rooms (www.hawthornehotel.com).
National Ghost Hunt Day at Lord Baltimore Hotel
Baltimore, Md.– Over the years, guests and staff of the historic Lord Baltimore Hotel, built in 1928, have reported sightings and supernatural activity. On September 29, 2018, the hotel, along with R.E.A.P. Investigations and Spirit Flows Studios, will kick off the Halloween season by taking part in the world’s largest ghost hunt as part of National Ghost Hunt Day.
Activities include three different supernatural settings including an intuitive development class with Spirit Flow’s Amanda Jackiewicz at 5 p.m., which will teach participants how to strengthen their intuition and heighten their awareness and conscientiousness. Following the workshop, Jackiewicz will conduct a limited amount of individual medium sessions from 6-7:30 p.m.
During these sessions, guests will work one-on-one with Jackiewicz to communicate with loved ones in the afterlife. For the final portion of the supernatural event, attendees will participate in a ghost hunt with the R.E.A.P. Investigation team led by Bill Reap beginning at 8 p.m. R.E.A.P. Investigations will hunt for ghostly activities throughout four areas of the hotel, including the Calvert Ballroom and the 19th floor, which are said to have heightened supernatural activities. At 10 p.m., the Lord Baltimore Hotel will join a live feed with more than 100 other locations as each conduct a ghost hunt at the same time.
Perhaps participants will get a glimpse of Lord Baltimore’s resident ghost: a little girl, wearing a long, cream-colored dress and black, shiny shoes, running by the open doorway, bouncing a red ball before her. There have been many times when guests have asked, “Little girl, are you lost?” and the hallway has been completely empty.
Event proceeds will be donated to Back on my Feet, an organization that helps to combat homelessness through the power of running and community support.
Held on the last Saturday of each September, National Ghost Hunt Day serves to enthusiastically commence the start of each new Halloween season. Its noble intention is to globally observe the most haunted properties in the world while recognizing the novice, curious, experts and professionals that investigate paranormal activity in these iconic locations! For more information, visit http://nationalghosthuntingday.com.
The Lord Baltimore Hotel is in the heart of downtown Baltimore, within walking distance of many local attractions. Originally built in 1928, the hotel was purchased in 2013 and completely renovated by Rubell Hotels. A member of Historic Hotels of America (historichotels.org), the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Lord Baltimore is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (20 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201 www.lordbaltimorehotel.com).
But what may be the most haunted of Historic Hotels of America members is 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, in Eureka Springs Arkansas: “Guests who check out but never leave” at the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa include Michael, the Irish stonemason who helped build the hotel in 1885; Theodora, a patient of Baker’s Cancer Curing Hospital in the late 1930s; and “the lady in the Victorian nightgown”, who likes to stand at the foot of the bed in Room 3500 and stare at guests while they sleep. These are only three of the dozens upon dozens of spirits that guests and visitors have reported encountering in this historic hotel in the Ozark Mountains.
This mountaintop spa resort, which has also become known as “America’s Most Haunted Hotel,” has been featured on popular shows like Ghost Hunter’s and Bio Channel’s My Ghost Story offers nightly tours that gain exclusive access to some of the most famous ghost sighting locations (recommended for 8 years and up; families with younger children should join the earliest tour.) And on October, 31, you can join a Halloween Séance.
Also in Eureka Springs, the 1905 Basin Park Hotel, which features a mysterious underground cave, offers a 90-minute Spirits of the Basin “ghost adventour” that combines a ghost tour with the adventure of paranormal investigation. It starts with a guided ghost hunt (in period costume) of the most haunted spaces and ends with a chilling ghost story told by candlelight and a sample of the bootleg liquor (http://www.spiritsofthebasin.com/)
Oktoberfest Weekend Celebrations Return to Hunter Mountain
Temperatures in the northeast have begun to trend cooler, and as the leaves begin to change, Hunter Mountain is hosting its long tradition of Oktoberfest celebrations.
Voted among the top 10 Best Oktoberfests in the Nation by USA Today, Hunter Mountain’s Oktoberfest weekends celebrate the arrival of autumn with authentic traditional German-American festivities, food and culture with a variety of entertainment options during all four free weekends. Oktoberfest weekends also occur in conjunction with specialty events alongside plentiful food and craft beverages, live music, artistic vendors, lawn games, our Scenic Skyride and much more.
The Colors in the Catskills: Off-Road Edition is a new arrival for our second weekend of Oktoberfest (Sept. 29 & 30) and allows guests to explore Hunter Mountain’s vast trail network in the midst of fall foliage season. Lead by knowledgeable and experienced guides from Northeast Off-Road Adventures, guests can register their 4X4 vehicles to participate in off-road tours of Hunter Mountain. Additionally, drivers and passengers alike will be able to purchase exclusive camping packages that grant them access to camping right on the Mountain.
The Das Laufwerk Eurocar Rally and 18-time Grammy award winner Jimmy Sturr return to Hunter Mountain for the third weekend of Oktoberfest (Oct. 6 & 7) to rock the stage and showcase some of best European cars our guests have to offer. The Das Laufwerk Eurocar Rally is open to guests and completely free to attend! All European car models are welcome and will have access to exclusive parking in a reserved lot located close to the Hunter Mountain base lodge. Guests attending this weekend of Oktoberfest will have a chance to see the finest in German engineering including Audis, Volkswagens, Porsches and much more.
The final weekend of Oktoberfest (Oct. 13 and 14) will celebrate wineries from around New York State with our Wine Tasting on the Mountain event. This year’s wine tasting event will host wineries from Long Island to the Finger Lakes. Similarly to our Ciders in the Catskills event, guests will be able to purchase VIP tasting packages which provide them with a voucher for 20 wine tastings, a commemorative wine glass and t-shirt as well as admission for one to our Scenic Skyride.
Admission to Oktoberfest is free and gates open each weekend at 11 am – 6:15 pm Saturdays and from 11 am– 5:15 pm Sundays. All four Oktoberfest weekends are held indoors and outdoors, rain or shine.
Located in the heart of the Great Northern Catskills, Hunter Mountain is a four-season resort. Throughout the spring, summer and fall, Hunter Mountain offers a variety of outdoor activities, weddings, group retreats, festivals and concerts while surrounded by magnificent views of the Catskill Mountains. The 3,200’ summit of Hunter Mountain provides panoramic views of the surrounding landscape and is accessible from May – October via the Scenic Skyride. An easy 2 ½ hour ride North of New York City, Hunter Mountain can be a day trip or overnight getaway for sightseeing, relaxation, hiking, fly fishing, zip lining and much more.
Hunter Mountain abuts the Catskills Preserve with spectacular hiking. Follow the Hudson River School Art Trail (my favorite trails are in the North-South Campground and Kaaterskill Falls).
The I LOVE NEW YORK weekly foliage report – a detailed map charting fall color progress, vantage points for viewing spectacular foliage, suggested autumn getaways and weekly event listings – is available at www.iloveny.com/foliage or by calling 800/CALL-NYS (800/225-5697).
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