Much of that influx began with The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze launched 21 years ago in the neighbouring town of Croton-on-Hudson. This massive Halloween event features more than 7,000 illuminated jack-o’-lanterns, all carved by hand onsite, with synchronised lighting, special effects and a spooky original soundtrack. The walking path glows with elaborately carved tableaus – animals, zombies, flower gardens, a spinning carousel and even a pumpkin Statue of Liberty. It’s widely considered one of the best family-friendly Halloween events in the US, drawing more than 100,000 visitors each season.
Historic Hudson ValleyWith the success of The Blaze, Historic Hudson Valley, the nonprofit behind the region’s heritage sites, developed new Halloween events at its other venues, including Washington Irving’s Sunnyside at Philipsburg Manor. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery followed suit, adding special themed tours and night tours that sell out weeks in advance during October weekends.
My favourite was one of these eerie evening rambles. For two hours, our guide Amanda led us by kerosene lanterns to the tombs of some of the cemetery’s most notable and intriguing residents. It wasn’t a haunted tour but a historical one, filled with intrigue, humour and surprisingly touching stories. At Irving’s grave, she acknowledged, “This is why most of you are here” and explained that Irving is on his third headstone because tourists chipped away pieces of the previous ones to bring home as souvenirs.
Two hundred years after Irving spun a story from local lore, the town has brought that legend to life for visitors. Irving’s tale is open-ended, allowing readers to choose whether they believe the Headless Horseman is real or not. And the town of Sleepy Hollow offers visitors the same choice: to believe in the legend – or simply admire how storytelling shaped a town’s second life.
