Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze: NY's Best Halloween Festival

Looking for Halloween fun for the whole family? The best fall event in the NYC area is definitely the annual Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze. Its two metro sites – Croton in the Hudson Valley and Nassau County on Long Island – are within easy reach by car or train. You’ll find thousand of illuminated pumpkins arranged to resemble New York City landmarks, dragons and more. Here are the 2022 dates and ticket info.

Pumpkins Galore in the Hudson Valley!

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze in Croton, NY, is THE Halloween event in NY’s Hudson Valley and one of the most popular fall festivals in the country. Over 7,000 pumpkins are carved, stacked and lit up in different scenes. There are dragons and the Statue of Liberty and a working carousel! It’s rumored that the orange glow can be seen from space!

Dragon made out of pumpkins at the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, a Halloween event near New York City. — Dragons, unicorns, dinosaurs. They all are recreated in pumpkin form at the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze. Photo credit: Cathy Bennett Kopf

The event organizer, Historic Hudson Valley, engages an army of 1,000 volunteers to assemble the pumpkins on the grounds of Van Cortlandt Manor, a post-Revolutionary War estate. The site’s manor and ferry houses are spooky sets for the pumpkins in the dark. Contributing to the eerie atmosphere is the piped in soundtrack.

Long Islanders don’t have to trek north to feed their craving for pumpkins. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is staged at a second location – the Old Bethpage Village Restoration.

Headstones made out of pumpkins at the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, the Hudson Valley's most popular Halloween event. — Pumpkin headstones feature the members of the Van Cortlandt family who once lived on the estate where the Blaze is staged. Photo credit: Carolyn Kopf

Ticket Info for the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze

Purchase your tickets to the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze in advance on the event website. Admission times begin at sundown and continue in 1/2 hour blocks. The final entry time is 9:00. The organizers offer a FLEX ticket option, permitting ticket holders to attend any day or time session, even those that are sold out. The FLEX ticket also includes a complimentary snack and drink of choice. However, the FLEX tickets sell out almost immediately. To snag one of these coveted tickets, you really need to be on top of your pumpkin game.

The Blaze is a rain or shine event. So, you can buy your tickets well in advance and hope the weather’s nice. Or, wait to see the forecast and then take a chance that tickets will still be available online. No tickets are sold on site at either the Hudson Valley or Long Island locations.

I’ve gone in the rain, the bitter cold and on perfect Indian summer evenings. It’s definitely better when the weather’s good and tickets are almost always available at the last minute for later, mid-week sessions.

The Van Cortlandt Manor House with pumpkin vines at the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze in Croton, New York, an annual Halloween festival near NYC. — Gather in front of the Van Cortlandt Manor House to watch pumpkin vines “grow” across the front porch! Photo credit: Cathy Bennett Kopf

Guests attending the Blaze file in a one-way loop through the exhibits. I’ve always found that the crowd moves fairly quickly.

The event is very popular and dates in and around Halloween sell out quickly. The Blaze runs from late September until early November, though, so there are plenty of sessions available. The Croton Blaze is open 7 days a week most of the season. However, the Long Island Blaze is closed most Mondays and Tuesdays.

Getting to the Blaze by Car or Train

Parking for the Blaze is free. Have your tickets available when you approach the parking attendants. They’ll check your admission time before they let you park. Don’t bother arriving too early; there’s not enough to do prior to entering the event to keep little ones entertained.

I prefer to go through the Blaze first and then consider food, bevvies and souvenirs.

The Hudson Valley Blaze is a quick, well-lit walk from the Metro North train station in Croton. The trip to Croton from Grand Central takes about 45 minutes.

Cider, Hot Cocoa and … BEER!

If you attend a late night session, you might want to cap off your Blaze experience with a warm beverage. Hot apple cider and cocoa are available. And (drumroll) the Hudson Valley’s largest craft brewery, Captain Lawrence, is a featured vendor at the Croton Blaze site.

Restaurants near the Blaze

I’ve yet to attend the Long Island Blaze, but attend the Croton event annually. I need something a bit more substantial than the snacks on site. Fortunately, there are a number of restaurants in and around Croton, including pizzerias, diners and fine dining spots. As mentioned, the Blaze is popular. Make a reservation at sit-down spots well in advance and give yourself enough time to eat and get to the Blaze for your ticketed admission time.

My top suggestion for pre-Blaze dining is DD’s Diner. It’s a bright, cheery spot right on Route 9A just south of the exit for the Blaze. The food’s reliably good and the service is efficient. Want something a little extra? The Tavern has a small interior and a large outdoor patio. I’d eat here post-Blaze so you can linger over a drink (or two!) and not feel stressed about getting to the Blaze for your entry time.

Blaze Souvenirs

There’s a large tent with souvenirs at the Blaze. Pick up a pumpkin Christmas ornament so you can remember the trip each year. There are also copies of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. You can tour Washington Irving’s mansion, Sunnyside, in nearby Irvington. Or, head to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, the fictional site of Ichabod Crane’s wild flight from the Headless Horseman!