The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze Will Have Longest Trail In Its History

OSSINING, NY — The match has been lit, and the Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze is aglow.

Sleepy Hollow Country’s fall season is back with a longer Jack O’Lantern Blaze trail, new attractions and select $24 value nights. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze will run for 44 nights at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson from Sept. 18 through Nov. 8.

Historic Hudson Valley said the 2026 event will feature its longest trail of illuminated pumpkin displays yet. New additions include the Creature Feature Forest, which the organization said nods to Van Cortlandt Manor’s past as a drive-in movie theater in the mid-20th century, and Literary Lane, which reimagines classic children’s tales.

Visitors also will find an interactive dance party on the lawn of the manor house.

The organization said Blaze is expanding its value pricing this year, with tickets priced at $24 on select evenings. Returning VIP hospitality options include The Gourd & Goblet Tavern and Headless Horseman’s Hideaway, both with new menus. A new stop called Monster’s Mug will offer quick drinks along the trail.

The Blaze is part of a wider October lineup across Sleepy Hollow Country tied to Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

At Washington Irving’s Sunnyside in Irvington, Legendary Tours will run during the day with cottage tours, an original short shadow puppet film and a Legend-themed exhibit. At night, storyteller Jonathan Kruk and musician Jim Keyes will present outdoor performances of Irving’s “Legend.”

At Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, Historic Hudson Valley is bringing back The Spirits of Sleepy Hollow Country: A Night of Legendary Magic, featuring illusionists Mark Clearview and Nick Wallace. Twilight Village at Sleepy Hollow also returns with vendors, activities, fire performers, storytellers and a sound-and-light show recreating the Headless Horseman’s midnight ride.

The Headless Horseman Files: A Sleepy Hollow Whodunit is expanding its run and adding morning offerings, according to the announcement. The 45-minute walk at Philipsburg Manor invites visitors to gather clues and decide who they think the Headless Horseman really is. Also returning at the Historic Hudson Valley Library is An Audience with Poe, an evening program built around stories by Edgar Allan Poe with themed drinks and treats.