What to know and what's new if you're going to Jack-O-Lantern Blaze in Croton-on-Hudson
Get ready for tricks and treats! The Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze in Croton-on-Hudson kicked off Friday.
Croton community members got a taste of what's to come this autumn at a special sneak peek of the event at the 17th Century Van Cortlandt Manor on Wednesday.
The Blaze features over 7,000 pumpkins designed and hand-carved by local artists. The pumpkins, some real and some not, are lit up in colorful, whimsical sculptures that depict all kinds of scenes from prehistoric dinosaurs to colonial Hudson Valley to a bright cityscape fit with plenty of twinkling lights.
New additions this year include a pumpkin sideshow circus act, a Day of the Dead tribute and the country's first fully operational pumpkin Ferris wheel. They join fan favorites like a 25-foot pumpkin Statue of Liberty, the colorful Pumpkin Planetarium and a replica of the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.
But the most fun new additions to the event are the Pumpkin Pals. Little gourds are scattered around the event, leading guests through the sculptures and taking up their own scenes. The Pumpkin Pals may be tour guides at night, but by day they are firefighters, police officers and clowns at the circus.
Tom Kaplan, 25, is a volunteer firefighter at the Croton Fire Department. He said he used to come to the Blaze when he was younger, but this year was his first time back in a while. He admitted he was bit biased when he said his favorite sculpture was a pumpkin-ized model of a Croton FD truck.
"I definitely think it's a good attraction for the community. It brings a lot of outsiders," Kaplan said. "It's definitely a good experience for all demographics. It's great to see them continue to succeed and I'm happy to keep coming back."
Kaplan was right about the event attracting outsiders. Rob Schweitzer, the vice president of Historic Hudson Valley and one of the event's organizers, estimates that around 2 million people have come to see the Blaze since its opening in 2005.
Vic Drapala of Peekskill returned after 10 years and said he appreciates the event because it helps attract attention to the many historic locations the Hudson Valley has to offer.
"I think it's very good for the community because it brings a lot of people in to show what the community is like and also into the historic sites," Drapala said. "[It shows] how valuable historic sites are, to keep them up and keep them running."
Visitors from out of the area can learn about the founding families of colonial New York by looking at a spooky graveyard tribute to the Van Cortland and Van Rensselaer families and the famous legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Stop by the gift shop on the way out for Halloween decorations, Blaze merch and apple cider donut-making kits. If you don't want to make your own donuts, they will be sold at the event along with apple cider, hot chocolate and candy apples.
Tickets are still available for the main event, but they are selling fast. Organizers estimate a walk-through of the property takes about 45 to 90 minutes. Tickets start at $37 for adults and $29 for children. Children under the age of 2 will be admitted for free. Check the Blaze website for more information on available dates and ticket prices.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Jack-O-Lantern Blaze returns to Croton NY: What's new and what to know
