October sparks a fiery energy in the Hudson Valley. The landscape is burnished crimson, gold and cedar (perfect for leaf-peepers). And Croton-on-Hudson takes on a tangerine glow with the “Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze” at Van Cortlandt Manor, featuring some 7,000 carved, illuminated pumpkins.
It’s one of our favorite events, so we were pleased to see five more dates added to this year’s “Blaze,” which runs through Nov. 25.
“These additional nights will give even more visitors the opportunity to see what has grown to be one of the country’s biggest Halloween-themed events,” Rob Schweitzer, vice president of Historic Hudson Valley, has said.
So far, 14 nights are already sold out. Last year, the event drew more than 160,000 spectators, who marveled at the larger-than-life installations, including the Pumpkin Zee Bridge, the Undersea Aquarium and Jurassic Park. This year, old favorites are joined by new creations, including the Statute of Liberty, the Pumpkin Possum Posse, a pint-sized herd of dinosaurs and a fully functioning, 20-foot-in-diameter Pumpkin Carousel.
Van Cortlandt Manor is at 525 S. Riverside Ave., Croton-on-Hudson. For more on available dates, visit hudsonvalley.org. And stay tuned for photos of the event on WAG’s Instagram (@wagmagazine).
– Danielle Renda
