The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze of New York
A Unique Halloween Event in the Lower Hudson Valley
Oct 7, 2008
The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze is back, bringing all new tricks and treats to the people of Westchester. Continuing the legacy of Washington Irving and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the exhibit slinks its way through Van Cortlandt Manor, following darkened paths lit only by the flickering gourdian lamps.
What Is at the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze?
The main exhibit is a pumpkin-constructed homage to the Paleozoic Era. Near-life sized dinosaurs built completely of jack o’lanterns dominate the riverside landscape. Walk along paths surrounded by Tyrannosauruses and Stegosauruses in the heat of battle. Raptors and other fauna dot the landscape, their candles shining in the Westchester darkness.
Other exhibits at the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze include the Undersea Aquarium, teeming with marine life, Scarecrow Infinity, an exhibit of myriad scarecrows, and a pirate cove. A classic Halloween section features all the ghosts, goblins, and ghouls one would expect from a Halloween exhibit. However, the show is not scary and even young children will enjoy it. A new exhibit called Stonehenge, a tribute to the famous monuments in England, makes it debut this year.
Creating the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze
Carving the pumpkins first takes place around June for the load-bearing pumpkins, and continues until the exhibit closes after Halloween. Many of those pumpkins are artificial, but still require hand carving. All of the natural pumpkins come from Wallkill Farm in New Paltz, New York. About 100,000 pounds of pumpkin are required to keep the exhibit fresh.
It takes almost 1000 volunteers to complete the scooping and lighting for the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze. Many of the volunteers come from non-profit groups such as ARC, the Girl Scouts, the United Way, and Another Step. This way, the Blaze becomes a true community event.
YouTube Contest
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is sponsoring a video contest on YouTube. Contestants attend the exhibit and videotape it. Then they edit the video and post it on YouTube. The video that best captures the creativity and excitiment of the show wins. All are welcome to enter, but leave your tripod at home to avoid obstructing the tour or causing damage to the pumpkins.
Visiting the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze takes place every weekend until Oct 19. Then they open Thurs the 23 until Halloween. Reservations are required in order to safely accommodate all the visitors. Remember, the exhibit is outdoors and candlelit, so a crowd of people walking around in the dark would be dangerous.
The first reservations of the night are for 6:30PM. It costs 15$ for adults, 10$ for children 5-17. Children under 5 can visit for free. The entire exhibit takes about 45 minutes.
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze has become an institution in Westchester County. For one month, Van Cortlandt Manor is lit up as a tribute to all things Halloween. If you plan on being in the area, take the time to see it before the pumpkins are gone.
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