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It may be hard to imagine right now in our city's new subtropical climate where a jaunt through a subway station feels like an expedition through the rainforest, but fall is coming. We're so ready—and so, too, are the folks at the beloved Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, which lights up autumn nights with more than 7,000 ornately hand-carved pumpkins.
This year, the pumpkin paradise just north of the city promises a "completely reimagined" experience with multiple new displays, including intricate carvings of New York State landmarks, eye-popping classic video game icons and a whimsical hillside Wizard of Oz scene. Blaze: Hudson Valley returns to Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson from September 12 through November 16. Tickets, starting at $24, go on sale August 6, and they do sell out, so book early.
RECOMMENDED: The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze guide
Blaze offers an all-ages, walk-through experience packed with pumpkin displays. From the moment you first enter, you'll see pumpkins just about everywhere, each display more dazzling than the last. Expect to spend about 45 minutes walking through, but budget some extra time to take photos.
Jack-o'-lantern artists are already hard at work preparing for this year's Blaze season. All year, they brainstorm, plan and design, coming up with imaginative new pumpkin creations. Then, as fall nears, the pumpkins start arriving. Nearly 10,000 pumpkins show up on flatbed trucks throughout the season, all sourced from Wallkill View Farm in New Paltz. In addition to the real pumpkins, they also employ some Funkin "art pumpkins." But no matter what, every single jack-o'-lantern is individually hand-carved on site.
The process looks pretty similar to the traditional American pumpkin-carving method—except this operation is on steroids. It's not just a one-time carving bonanza. The artists stay on throughout the Halloween season, ready to carve fresh artwork when the heat and the rain take their toll on existing pumpkin displays.
That means no matter when you visit, you can expect pristine pumpkins, all ready for ooh-ing and ahh-ing. To take your Blaze experience to the next level, book an add-on ticket for The Gourd & Goblet Tavern where you can grab a drink and snacks inside a real 18th-century inn nestled along the pumpkin trail. The tavern is recommended for ages 18+.
While you're in Croton-on-Hudson, also check out immersive Sleepy Hollow-themed events that bring Washington Irving's classic tale to life in thrilling new ways. For families, daytime tours of Washington Irving's Sunnyside offer all-ages fun, including a shadow puppet film. For brave audiences, there's a nighttime version with master storyteller Jonathan Kruk and musician Jim Keyes performing Irving's "Legend."
Other things to do in the area include The Spirits of Sleepy Hollow Country: A Night of Legendary Magic at Philipsburg Manor where illusionists conjure the supernatural with ghostly tales and spellbinding tricks. There's also The Headless Horseman Files: An Immersive Sleepy Hollow Whodunit, a daytime theatrical mystery walk where visitors gather clues and uncover what really happened to Ichabod Crane.
All events are held rain or shine. Proceeds support Historic Hudson Valley, the Tarrytown-based non-profit educational organization that owns and operates these National Historic Landmarks.
In addition to Blaze: Hudson Valley, there's also a Blaze: Long Island outpost, which will return this fall as well.