​W.L. Morse School Celebrates Sleepy Hollow's 150th Birthday

SLEEPY HOLLOW, NY — The Village of Sleepy hollow is having a birthday celebration worth losing your head over and everyone is getting in on the fun.

W.L. Morse School Principal, Torrance Walley, arranged a huge birthday bash with over 400 first- and second-grade students on Tuesday, May 14, to celebrate the 150th birthday of the Village of Sleepy Hollow.

"Just like each of you has a special day, our village has its own birthday too," Walley shared with the excited student body.

Mayor Martin Rutyna joined in on the celebration as well, praising the students for successfully completing the first 150 days of school. "Only 200 more days to go!" he playfully said, drawing laughter and smiles from the crowd as summer break looms closer.

Describing the village as an extended family, the mayor (affectionately referred to as Mayor Martin by the students) focused on community life. He asked the assembly if they had attended some of the previous 150th-anniversary events, including the Pumpkin Ball drop in January, ice skating and story time in February, the St. Patrick's Day parade in March, and the Earth Day tree planting in April. Several students responded positively at the mention of each occasion.

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The mayor invited the students to the 150th Anniversary Car Show that took place this past weekend, highlighting the village's historical ties to the auto industry, tracing back to the once-thriving GM plant in North Tarrytown. His presentation included a slideshow featuring glimpses of Sleepy Hollow's past, from a quaint one-room schoolhouse to the Morse School's original mascot, a horse named Snowball.

At the end of the event, students presented Mayor Rutyna with a giant card signed by nearly every member of the school, followed by a lively rendition of "Happy 150th Birthday." Led by the Morse School's music teacher and art teacher, Jeffery Mizen and Jeannette Dietz, respectively, the celebration concluded with a musical tribute that counted down the village's years.

The Sleepy Hollow community is gearing up for a series of exciting events to mark the milestone, including the inaugural Sleepy Hollow Music Festival on June 8, the Mermaid Festival on July 20, and the grand 150th Anniversary parade and block party on Beekman Ave. on September 14.