Super Spooky Stuff in Sleepy Hollow
Headless Horseman, Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow, home of the Headless Horseman himself, is all about hosting a super-haunted Halloween with a range of events for all ages this month. The Sleepy Hollow Tarrytown Chamber of Commerce sent us this roundup of what’s on tap in our fellow Westchester community:
Sleepy Hollow, NY, birthplace of the most famous Halloween legend of all, beckons with haunted happenings all month long. Named one of the top three Historic American Towns by a national survey and one of the 10 Great Spooky Adventure Destinations in the world by National Geographic Traveler, the Sleepy Hollow area draws thousands of visitors unable to resist what lurks in the dark corners of the night.
“There is no escaping the lure of Halloween in Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown,” said Bill Hammer, who heads a new sub-committee focused on branding Sleepy Hollow. Halloween has evolved into a season that now starts in September. The internationally recognized Sleepy Hollow Brand is projecting record numbers of Tourists expected to visit this season. In addition to large sponsors like Kraft, TD Bank, Mahopac Bank, CARS Inc, The Village of Sleepy Hollow, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, and FLY Communications over 30 other Sleepy Hollow area businesses and organizations contributed over $50,000 in money & services. “The dark night holds centuries-old, scary secrets and we welcome all visitors to our sequestered little glen.”
- Climb aboard Sleepy Hollow’s annual Haunted Hayride and hold on to your head! For two nights only on October 28 and 29, the Hayride rumbles off into the dark following Ichabod Crane’s flight from the Headless Horseman. A block party on Beekman Ave. will keep you entertained before and after your hair-raising ride.
- Historic Philipsburg Manor takes the tale of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” to its darkest extremes on weekend nights in October with Horseman’s Hollow, a half-mile candlelit path winding through a terrifying landscape.
- Creep though winding roads and soaring monuments on an evening lantern tour of the famous Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, final resting place Washington Irving. You may even enter the crypt of vampire Barnabas Collins, star of the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows.
- On weekend nights in October hear the Legend of Sleepy Hollow brought to life at the Old Dutch Church by master storyteller Jonathan Kruk. Accompanied by live organ music Kurk’s 45-minute performance captivates.
The fun continues with events for all ages.
- Hear tales, both spectral and earthly, of the area’s eerie and legendary past on walking tours of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow on October 9, 15, and 23.
- Tarrytown’s magnificent 10th Annual Halloween Parade on Sat, 10/29 brings out the best in local residents whose creative costumes and enthusiasm for their “national holiday” do not disappoint.
- Washington Irving’s home Sunnyside, offers daytime events for children, including games, magicians, live music, puppet shows, ghost stories, and delicious picnic fare
- On Oct. 9, 500 Scarecrows will invade the grounds of Lyndhurst, a gothic revival mansion in Tarrytown for the Scarecrow Autumn Festival on October 9th (rain date on October 10th). Or get the whole family involved in making your own scarecrow at the very popular scarecrow making event at Patriot’s Park in Tarrytown on October 15.
For information and how to purchase tickets for all events listed above see www.visitsleepyhollow.com or www.visittarrytown.com
Photos courtesy of the Sleepy Hollow Tarrytown Chamber of Commerce and Historic Hudson
