- The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze in New York is the tri-state area’s largest Halloween festival.
- Artists decorate the grounds of Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson with 7,000 jack-o’-lanterns.
- The jaw-dropping displays include a pumpkin planetarium, a 200-foot Kraken, and optical illusions.
When the Van Cortlandt family acquired their sprawling Hudson Valley estate in the late 1600s, they couldn’t have imagined that it would one day host a jack-o’-lantern festival with pumpkin sculptures including a Kraken, moving windmill, and Statue of Liberty.
Dutch trader Stephanus Van Cortlandt, who served as mayor of New York City, bought the land and built the first version of Van Cortlandt Manor between 1665 and 1681, according to the National Park Service. His grandson, Pierre Van Cortlandt, was New York’s first Lieutenant Gov. and added the manor’s top stories and porches in 1749.
Today, Van Cortlandt Manor is best known as the site of The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, an annual festival featuring elaborate pumpkin carvings and sculptures.
The entire estate measures around 125 acres, and The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze spans a total of around 10 acres, making it the largest Halloween event in the tri-state area.
It’s one of many spooky events fueling a Halloween industry that is expected to reach $11.6 billion this year, per the National Retail Federation.
I attended The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze in September to explore the historic mansion and grounds … and, of course, enjoy the fantastic pumpkin artistry.
