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 White Plains, NY As Halloween approaches, the Hudson Valley is gearing up for a series of spooky events to fill October weekends. From pumpkins to poltergeists, there are dozens of ways for both children and adults to enjoy this popular fall holiday.
Washington Irving brought fame to the Hudson Valley with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and a scary apparition on horseback. Relive that fabled ride at Headless Horseman Hayrides in Ulster Park. This family-oriented attraction includes a one-mile hayride, corn maze, three haunted houses, and several gift shops.
Ghost hunters won’t want to miss Capitol Hauntings, a one-hour tour of downtown Albany that explores real life ghost sightings while relating the legends of the para-normal in our state capitol. Find out which two U.S. presidents visited the capitol after they died, and where a tormented artist placed hidden murals in the Assembly Chambers.
Beware as you enter Skull Island Scream Park in Fishkill. If the Haunted Pirate Ship doesn’t give you goose bumps, visit the Killer Klowns Carnival.
In Newburgh, the TerrorDome awaits your arrival to the Barn of Terror with its live creatures, and the Hallows Haven Asylum will entertain you if you dare to enter. Explore Halloween Town where those who venture may not return.
Spend a spellbinding evening with thousands of illuminated pumpkins at the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on Hudson. Meander through a woodsy, darkened, riverside landscape and discover a breathtaking, artistic display of dinosaurs, snakes, giant spider webs, and ghosts, all made of pumpkins!
Further up the Hudson River, more Halloween lights brighten the Night of 1,000 Pumpkins in Catskill on October 24th. Pumpkin carving for all followed by a Jack-o-lantern parade tops off the night with storytelling, cider and donuts.
Clermont State Historic Site hosts Legends by Candlelight tours of the museum and its grounds to discover the ghosts and spooks of the Livingston family, the original inhabitants of this Hudson River mansion. Period decorations grace the house as the wispy descendents creep about.
You’ll be terrified at the Haunting on the Hill in Patterson. Hayrides to the pumpkin patch, a Haunted Village, and chairlift rides make this appealing to all members of the family.
Saturday, October 25 brings two events to round out the season. Join the costumed marchers and decorated floats in Nyack’s annual Halloween Parade, a village tradition. Prizes are awarded, so don a costume and win a prize! That same night, take the Halloween Flashlight Tour in Troy. Especially designed for very young children, the one-hour walking tour explores Oakwood Cemetery and some of its less scary features that will entertain the entire family.
Be scared, be entertained, but beware! Whether you’re looking for a blood curdling experience or the warmth of a pumpkin’s light, there are Halloween happenings all over the Hudson Valley to delight every member of the family.
For more information on these events, please contact:
Headless Horseman Hayrides, Ulster Park. 845-339-2666, www.headlesshorseman.com
Capitol Hauntings Tours, Albany. 518-473-7582. www.ogs.state.ny.us
Skull Island Scream Park, Fishkill. 845-897-9600. www.SplashdownBeach.com
TerrorDome, Newburgh. 845-926-3443, www.terrordome.com
The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, Croton-on-Hudson. 914-271-8981, www.hudsonvalley.org
Night of 1000 Pumpkins, Catskill. 518-719-8244
Legends by Candlelight, Clermont. 518-537-4240, www.friendsofclermont.org
Haunting on the Hill, Patterson. 845-878-4100, www.thunderridgeski.com
Halloween Parade, Nyack. 845-353-2221
Halloween Flashlight Tour, Troy. 800-556-6273, www.oakwoodcemetery.org
Hudson Valley Tourism, Inc. is the 10-county region designated by I LOVE NEW YORK to promote tourism for the area. Counties include Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Ulster and Westchester. Regional information can be obtained from any of the county tourism offices, the Hudson Valley Tourism website, www.travelhudsonvalley.com, or by calling 845-615-3860.
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