The Halloween season is pretty hard to resist, can we agree? Even if you’re not into ghouls and vampires and that whole deal, the autumnal ambience—falling leaves, cornstalks, pumpkins, crisp sunshine—casts one heck of a spell.
And indulging in at least a little bit of the spooky amid that atmosphere can be a blast for young and old. There really aren’t many better places in America to do so than the Hudson Valley, given you’ve got that haunted hamlet of Sleepy Hollow (of Washington Irving’s Headless Horseman fame) perched along the river.
Well, when you stay with us at Hotel Zero Degrees Danbury, you’re less than an hour’s drive from one of the very best Halloween installations in the country—and an all-around fabulous fall festival, to boot—right in the heart of the Hudson Valley: the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze!
The Pumpkin-Heavy Delights of the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze
Back for its 13th year, this incredible setup turns the historic grounds of the Van Cortlandt Manor, a remarkable 18th-century estate in Croton-on-Hudson, into an all-out Halloween spectacular. Thousands of creatively carved pumpkins—large and small, classically decorated and wildly creative—create a genuine jack-o’-lantern village. Here you’ll find the Jack-o’-Lantern Statue of Liberty, the Pumpkin Planetarium, the Pumpkin Carousel—and, naturally, a jack-o’-lantern version of the old Headless Horseman himself. Then there’s the Croton River sea serpent, the dino gaggle of Jurassic Park, the clown cavalcade of the Circus Train, and much more.
Backed up with elaborate lights and a bespoke soundtrack (courtesy of Richard Christy), the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is basically guaranteed to dazzle. You can purchase tickets right here; you’ll see some evening showings are already sold out, so consider locking down your admission sooner rather than later. The Blaze goes down most nights in October, and extends into November as well.
Frightful Festivities at Horseman’s Hollow
Meanwhile, a bit more intense of a Halloween experience awaits a few miles south of Van Cortlandt Manor at Horseman’s Hollow: If you’re into scares, perhaps this freaky ghost-scape at Philipsburg Manor in (appropriately enough) Sleepy Hollow—only suitable for kids 10 years old and up, and not a good idea for claustrophobic types or those with chronic health conditions—might make a decent double-header with the friendlier charms of the Blaze.
Come mark the Halloween season with Hotel Zero Degrees Danbury, and consider making a little jaunt over to the Hudson Valley for the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze to do the holiday right!