Fall is here and one of the most popular happenings in Westchester will return for a 16th year. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Van Cortland Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, will run for a record 53 select evenings from September 18 through November 21. Fun for all ages, the outdoor walk-through experience takes visitors through the wooded pathways, orchards, and gardens of the historic site.. A small team of artists hand-carve more than 7,000 jacks and elaborate pumpkin sculptures, including some of the Blaze favorites, including a giant spider web and mammoth sea serpent, and much more.
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.
Buy tickets online at www.hudsonvalley.org or by calling 914-366-6900. More information about The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is available at pumpkinblaze.org.
The good news about the return of The Blaze comes at a time when many local communites are considering cancelling Halloween and the trick or treating that comes with it due to COVID.
The Center for Disease Control, CDC, issued the following advisory.
“Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses. There are several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween. If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters.
These lower risk activities can be safe alternatives: Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring Halloween decorations at a distance. Having a scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search with your household members in or around your home rather than going house to house.”
The Cross County Shopping Center will host a ‘Trunk or Treat’ event on Saturday October 24. Trunk or Treat has cars lined up in a parking lot or on the road with their trunks filled with treats for the kids.
