Local Halloween and Westchester County 'Falltastic' Events

Local Halloween Events:

• Rye Brook Halloween in the Park: Oct. 18-19 6 to 9 p.m. at Rye Hills Park.  This event will have programs for all ages, although parents may want to use discretion to allow young children on the haunted hayride.  There is a $2.00 per person fee (under 2 free) and refreshments will be sold. Please park at Crawford Park and walk over to Rye Hill Park.  Volunteers are needed! Please call 939-7054 if interested. 
• Port Chester Middle School Haunted House: Oct. 24-26, 6 to 10 p.m. Details here.
• Osborn School Scare Fair: Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Details here. 
• Rye Halloween Window Painting: Oct. 20. Details here 

County Halloween Events

A press release from Westchester County:   Leaf peeping, harvest festivals and Halloween events for all ages are just some of the ways to enjoy the autumn season in Westchester County, the first stop in the Hudson Valley.

 “Fall is an amazing season for Westchester County in the Hudson Valley. There are countless attractions and opportunities for family fun,” said County Executive Robert P. Astorino. “From food and film festivals to fright fests and the beauty of our amazing foliage in the great outdoors, Fall is the perfect time to Meet Me in Westchester.” 

Upcoming activities and events are highlighted below:

Get into the Halloween Spirit

Halloween is right around the corner and it is exciting to get into the holiday spirit with fun activities and attractions happening in Westchester. The Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze, for example, is one the tri-state’s biggest, most exciting and electrifying events. See more than 5,000 individually hand-carved, illuminated jack o’ lanterns in this elaborate walk-through experience at Van Cortlandt Manor. Suited for adults and children, meander through an historic, 18th-century riverside landscape and discover a breathtaking pumpkin display (October 5-6, 11-14, 17-20, 24-31 andNovember 1-3, 8-11). Van Cortlandt Manor is located at 525 South Riverside Avenue in Croton on Hudson. Tickets are $16 for adults and $12 for children ages 3 to 17. Saturday tickets are $20 for adults and $16 for children. 

If you are feeling brave, take the tale of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow to its darkest extremes with Horseman’s Hollow at Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, the town from which the new FOX TV series is characterized. The historic property is transformed into a terrifying landscape ruled by the undead, the evil and the insane. Visitors begin walking a haunted trail, stumbling upon scary scenes in a town driven mad by the Headless Horseman. Elaborate costumes and the work of award-winning feature-film makeup artists make it all too real (October 5-6, 11-13, 18-20, 25-27 and November 1-2). Philipsburg Manor is located at 381 Bellwood Avenue in Sleepy Hollow. Tickets are $20, and $25 on Saturdays. Advanced tickets are required for The Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze and Horseman’s Hollow. Lyndhurst is located at 635 South Broadway in Tarrytown.

For more information about these two events, visit https://www.hudsonvalley.org/ or call 914-631-0089.

 Adding to the variety of fall activities, Lyndhurst will debut a fun house for Halloween called Jay Ghoul’s House of Curiosities. Utilizing its historic gothic castle structure, this house will present a theatrical experience that is simultaneously eerie, scary and beautiful. Visitors will be taken through a guided tour, eerily lit and decorated. They will be introduced to interesting characters and the dining room will be set for Halloween dinner with fingers in the finger bowls and other spooky sights. Jay Ghoul’s House of Curiosities will be open October 18, 20, 25, 27, 31 and November 1 and 3. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for children under age 12 on the weekends, and $20 for adults and $18 for children under age 12 on Thursdays and Fridays. For more information, visitwww.lyndhurst.org or call 914-631-4481.

 Nearby, Tarrytown House Estate on the Hudson, whose King Mansion is rumored to be haunted, offers special packages for guests interested in visiting the exciting activities in Westchester. The King Mansion is a 170-year old mansion that features 10 Georgian era guestrooms that some say are haunted! Built in 1840, the King Mansion is the oldest building at Tarrytown House Estate on the Hudson. Many staff members claim to have seen a ghost, and even refuse to go into the King Mansion alone. Housekeepers have seen moving, shadowy figures and a conference service worker once saw an apparition of an old lady in a white dress.

 Starting at $349 as part of the “Blaze” package, guests receive deluxe accommodations, an American breakfast for two at the Biddle Mansion, and two VIP tickets to The Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze. This package is available October 5-6, 11-14, 17-20, 24-31 and November 1-3 and 8-11.Starting at $359, guests receive the same amenities for the “Horseman’s Hollow” package, including two tickets to the event. This package is available October 5-6, 11-13, 18-20, 25-27 andNovember 1-2. Tarrytown House Estate on the Hudson is located at 49 East Sunnyside Lane in Tarrytown. For more information, visit www.tarrytownhouseestate.com/new-york-hotel-packages.php or call 1-800-553-8118.

The Yonkers Film Festival (YoFi Fest), October 11-13, is a new film festival in Yonkers that offers three days of all things film, including movies, music videos, lectures, Q&As, documentaries, student works, industry professional works and more. Guests will have the chance to see new works by emerging artists and filmmakers will be able to talk to their audiences. Tickets range from $10 to $35. For more information, visitwww.yofifest.wix.com.

For visitors to the area, The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester is offering a special package starting at $495 for this event that brings you up close and personal with animals, farmers and local purveyors. For more information, visithttp://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Westchester/Reservations/Packages/Detail/harvest_festival_getaway_package.htm or call 914-467-5500.

For more of the latest events and happenings in Westchester, log ontowww.visitwestchesterny.com, like us on Facebook (facebook.com/westchestercountytourism), follow us on Twitter @westchestertour or call 1-800-833-9282.