The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze Returns in the Hudson Valley and Long Island!

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze Returns!

Everyone’s little pumpkins are sure to glow with delight at the The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze! Families will enjoy this fall feast for the eyes, admiring thousands of breathtakingly beautiful, whimsical, and spooky hand carved jack o’ lanterns synchronized with music and lights. It is a unique fall holiday lights spectacular that is sure to mesmerize kids of all ages. 

There are two Blaze locations this year and both are an easy drive or train ride from NYC. Plan to spend about an hour at the historic sites to soak in all of the intricately carved pumpkins and dynamic displays. We loved visiting the Blaze in Hudson Valley with its illuminated, individually hand-carved jack o’ lanterns in elaborate displays that are professionally lit encompassing the Van Cortlandt Manor in various themed areas. Fan favorite installations like the Statue of Liberty and the Pumpkin Planetarium are joined this year by new creations, including an iconic New York City streetscape and an immersive Hudson River scene… all made of jack o’lanterns!

From the moment families arrive there is an eye-catching rainbow of pumpkins carved to say welcome in different languages and with each step along the path the jack o’ lantern fun keeps going and growing. Families will love that the Blaze displays are even bigger and better than ever before and feature 7,000+ hand-carved jack o’lanterns lit up in dazzling displays throughout the historic landscapes. Prepare for lots of ooohhhs and aaaahhhs as every step you take there are fun and festive jack o’ lanterns carved to make you go “wow!” 

From an immersive river walk-through experience, going under the sea with colorful, illuminated jellyfish to walking on the wild side with larger-than life dinosaurs, there is a pumpkin carved to delight everyone. There’s a moving windmill, Museum of Pumpkin Art and the ever-favorite Pumpkin Planetarium. The headless horseman was also a crowd pleaser but the jack-o-lanterns illuminating the mansion stole the (light)show. 

Our personal favorite was the ode to NYC. The jack o’ lantern version of the iconic city featured a spectacular skyline, Lady Liberty alongside taxi cabs, subway stations, park benches, and even pigeons. It made everyone love New York City even more than ever. It’s as sweet as pumpkin pie!

Tickets

These events have limited capacity and sell out. All admissions are by advance purchase only. To further reduce staff/visitor touchpoints, no tickets are sold on site even if not sold out. 

Online tickets start at $32 for adults and $24 for children 3-17, and are free for children 2 and under. Historic Hudson Valley members can attend Blaze: Hudson Valley for free. Buy tickets online or by calling 914-366-6900 ($2.50 per ticket surcharge for phone orders).

All events are held rain or shine. Proceeds support Historic Hudson Valley, the Tarrytown-based private, non-profit educational organization that owns and operates several National Historic Landmarks.

Location

There are two locations for Blaze this year. Blaze: Hudson Valley returns to its location at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson for a 17th year and Blaze: Long Island returns to Old Bethpage Village Restoration in Old Bethpage after a successful launch in 2020

Dates

Blaze: Hudson Valley dates are September 17-October 31; November 3-7, 10-14, 18-21. 

Blaze: Long Island dates are September 22-26; 29-October 3; October 6-11; 20-24; 27-31; November 3-7.

Health and Safety

The health and safety of visitors is the highest priority. HHV’s experiences are largely outdoors and touch-free, and capacity has been reduced to ensure social distancing. Visitors who are not vaccinated are required to wear masks at all times. Masks are not required for vaccinated visitors while on the grounds, but will be required when entering buildings at their sites, such as restrooms or shops.

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