September, not October, is the start of Halloween in the Hudson Valley. Sorry for rushing the season, but The Blaze opens this weekend, and tickets are on sale for some spooky events, including a Harry Potter interactive in the woods of Yorktown, a new musical based on “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” and a circus-themed event called “The Legend,” which promises to be a step back in time.
Those looking for a less spooky experience will be happy to know that the upcoming weekend and beyond is full of fall festivals, from crafts, to jazz to a food crawl in Haverstraw, and of course, oktoberfests! Keep reading for details.
Family fun:Where to go apple picking this weekend
Arts:Visit artists studios, see work in progress at Art Walk Kingston
Organizers describe “The Legend” thusly: “It’s the 1800’s, hear the clamoring metal horseshoes click across cobblestone roads in this dark Sleepy Hollow tale, a simmering adaptation of Washington Irving’s iconic ghost story, ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’.”
Audiences will be treated to a cirque/theatre noir production with narration by Washington Irving himself – in hologram form, commemorating the 200-year anniversary of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
“This is the first time that an American Circus will use a hologram to portray an ‘animal act’ in a circus tent,” said Carlo Pellegrini of Westchester Circus Arts, creator, producer and writer of “The Legend.”
Tickets are on sale now at SleepyHollowLegend.com. The show will run from Sept. 23 – Oct. 16 in the “Legend” Circus Tent on the East Parcel at 60 Continental Street in Sleepy Hollow. Showtimes: Fridays, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m., and Sundays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Shows run for an hour and a half and include an intermission. Tickets are $30 online and $40 at the door. Recommended for ages 10 years old and up. For more information, contact Westchester Circus Arts at 914- 275-5711.
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze will return to Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson for its 18th year. This outdoor event is a display of thousands of carved pumpkins arrayed in various tableaux ranging from the Statue of Liberty to a pumpkin planetarium.
New displays this year: An animated “Jack” Smith working in his shop and a hive of glowing bees. Timed entry tickets are sold online only. Online tickets start at $32 for adults and $24 for children 3-17, and are free for children 2 and under. The 2022 dates are: Sept. 16-18; Sept. 22-25; Sept. 28-Oct. 31; Nov. 2-6; Nov. 9-13; and Nov. 18-20. Tickets are also on sale for “Irving’s Legend,” and “Home of the Legend,” Halloween events which take place at Sunnyside, the home of author Washington Irving. Check site for dates, prices and reservations. Purchase tickets for all events at hudsonvalley.org. Van Cortlandt Manor, 525 S. Riverside Drive, Croton-on-Hudson.
The two-act, 20-song musical inspired by Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” and written by Patricia White, brings new twists, new characters, and new music to Irving’s tale. The show takes place inside the historical Whipple-Feely Chapel in Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park in Carmel. The show will run every weekend through Oct. 31. Showtime is at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and Sunday matinees will be at 2 p.m. This limited series will culminate with a Halloween performance on Monday, Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. Any audience members who arrive in costume on Halloween will be eligible to win a prize. For tickets and information, visit: heartsofthehollow.com
This new, (and very popular, many dates may already be sold out) outdoor interactive attraction at FDR State Park in Yorktown, will welcome all ages of witches, wizards and muggles alike to a walking trail where they’ll cast spells and experience creatures from both the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts” franchises. This is the only New York-metro area location for the attraction. Tickets start at $36 start adult and $25 for kids. Price is dependent on the day and time of the session chosen. “Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience” will be open from 5 to 11 p.m., The full experience should take guests anywhere form 60 to 90 minutes to enjoy. Taconic State Parkway entrance to Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park, 2957 Crompond Road, Yorktown Heights. For more info, go to hpforbiddenforestexperience.com/westchester.
The annual Yonkers Riverfest, hosted by the Yonkers Downtown/Waterfront Business Improvement District takes place from noon-7 p.m. The festival brings together over 15,000 people along the Hudson River to enjoy musical entertainment, great food, arts, crafts, and children’s activities. Performers will include tribute bands playing the music of Kiss, Motown, and Tina Turner. At the River Street Stage, concerts will showcase artists playing R&B/Soul, Rock, and Salsa. If you are interested in hearing a mix of Blues, Disco, Brass, and Acoustic, head down to the Waterfront Stage. Check out the Main Street Stage for Latin Fusion, Pop, R&B, and Oldies hits all day. Admission is free. For a complete schedule, and more info go to YonkersDowntown.com.
Visitors can spend the day with family and friends shopping for original fashions, accessories, jewelry, home décor, furniture, photography and fine art; as well as functional and sculptural works in ceramics, glass, metal, wood, mixed media and more. The event includes tastings from local distilleries, craft demos and family activities such as puppet shows for the kiddos. Show hours are Friday, Sept. 16 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 18 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. General admission is $12, seniors are $11 (62 & up), children 6-16 are $4 and children under 6 are free. Advanced online ticket purchase available and strongly encouraged. Tickets available at lyndhurst.org. Crafts at Lyndhurst is held at Lyndhurst, located at 635 S. Broadway, Tarrytown. Parking is free and the show is outdoors, rain or shine. No pets, with the exception of service animals, are allowed within the show site. More details are available at artrider.com.
For five weekends, Nyack will be home to a series of live performances held in a variety of outdoor venues. Expect to see works performed by the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble, Children’s Shakespeare Theatre and the Rockland Symphony Orchestra, among others. For a complete schedule of events, and venues go to nyackartsfestival.com
Expect live performances, some free, others ticketed, at various locations in White Plains. Notable artists scheduled to perform include Miki Hayama and Richie Goods, the Albert Rivera Quintet, the Carlos Jimenez Mambo Sextet, the G. Thomas Allen Quartet and more. The 11th-annual JazzFest White Plains is produced by ArtsWestchester, the City of White Plains and the White Plains Business Improvement District. For the full schedule, go to artsw.org/jazzfest.
The Piermont Historical Society will celebrate the village’s history with the unveiling of an exhibit in Gair Park, corner of Ash and Piermont Streets, at 5 p.m. with music by the Old No. 7 Band. At noon, in Flywhweel Park will be the unveiling of the Thomas Pomplin Statue. The Piermont Fire Department will unveil a statue in recognition of fallen firefighter, Thomas Pomplin, whose 1854 death is the first recorded line of duty death in the fire service in Rockland county.
From 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park in Beacon will welcome beer enthusiasts to the Hudson Valley Craft Beer Festival. With sampling glasses in hand, festival goers can try brews from some local breweries including Millhouse Brewery, Newburgh Brewing Company and Old Klaverack Brewery as well as plenty from around New York state, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and more. Tickets through Sept. 16 are $55 for general admission and $85 for VIP. Day of, tickets are $60 for general admission and $90 for VIP. VIP admission gets ticketholders into the festival an hour prior to general admission. Designated driver tickets are $10. Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park, 2 Red Flynn Dr., Beacon; hrcbf.com
The 30th annual fair will be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. along Lafayette Avenue in Suffern. Along with food, live music and new this year, a Jeep car show, there will be kids zone including a bounce house, mini golf and a slide, $3 per activity. Expect a face painter, balloon artist booth and The Ice Factory will have ices. The sounds of Ed Packer will be performing by Java Love between noon-3 p.m.
Expect about 200 vendors and merchants lining both sides of North Avenue between Winthrop and Fifth Avenues, with an expanded area on Hamilton Avenue to Beaufort Place. Some of the highlights include a Touch-A-Truck section with City vehicles, food from local establishments as well as food trucks, live performances, giant inflatables, and a Beer Garden sponsored by Beechmont Tavern. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
This festival celebrates thediverse culinary options in the village, with diners getting the chance to sample a small plates or tapas-focused food sampling. The crawl begins in the Webster Bank lot at 38 New Main St.; over 15 restaurants are participating. Tastings are $5-$10 per plate. New Main and Main St. will be closed to vehicular traffic. Tents, tables and chairs will be set up for attendees to eat and relax. 1-5 p.m. For more info and a street crawl map, go to haverstrawriverwidearts.org/ taste-haverstraw.
The program, which has been held annually for nearly 50 years, closes a section of the Bronx River Parkway, between Yonkers and White Plains, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for bicyclists and other recreational activities. Remaining dates: Sept. 11, 18, 25. This year there will also be a Bicycle Sunday on Oct. 2. For info, go to thewpf.org.
Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital’s 18th Annual Go the Distance Walk and Family Fun Day is a free event featuring activities including face painting, crafts, carnival games, music, character appearances, food and more. The day’s activities begin at 9:30 a.m. with the one-mile walk around the Westchester Medical Center campus stepping off at 11 a.m. For more info, or to register to walk go to WMCBig5Races.com.
This annual event, held at Peekskill’s River Front Green Park, includes traditional Irish music, step dancing, food and more. Performers include Celtic Cross, the Cunningham Brothers Band, Jameson’s Revenge, and the T. McCann Band, a 9/11 Commemoration with Massed Pipe bands and Tim Murphy and Friends. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. For more info, go to hudsonvalleyirishfest.com.
The festival, formerly known as Founders Day, celebrates its 30th anniversary. It will feature live entertainment on two outdoor stages, kids’ games, a bouncy house, food, and vendors of all kinds, including artists, craftspersons, authors, community services, not-for-profit organizations, and local businesses. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. The festival goes Main Street from the train station to Wilkes Avenue. Free parking will be available at the Tristate Commuter Lot on Park Street and Morningthorpe Ave. and in the Metro-North parking spots along Railroad Avenue. For more info, go to BrewsterFallFestival.com.
The outdoor festival will be held noon-4 p.m. at Tibbits Park in White Plains, between North Broadway and Lake Street and will feature musical performances, health and wellness vendors, free health screenings, interactive fitness demos, yoga, games and food, along with kids activities. For more information, go to wpwellnessweek.com.
Cross County Center hosts, with live music, dancing, food and fun. The Beer Garden will be located on The Green, in the center of the mall and will be open on Saturday from 1-7 p.m. and on Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Enjoy local beers from Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, grilled brats, pretzels with mustard and more, for purchase.
Outdoor arts festival will take place in White Plains with arts activities ranging from concerts to live mural painting, a public art walking tour to dancing in the streets. There will be sculpture, performance art, massive public art unveilings by renowned artists, fun family art-making and more throughout the downtown. To find a full calendar of events, go to artswestchester.org
If you have an event to submit, go to www.lohud.com/things-to-do/events and find the tab that says: Promote Your Event.
About Author
