Standing outside the historic home on the Hudson River that once belonged to America’s “founding father of literature” Washington Irving, County Executive George Latimer invited residents from Westchester and beyond to embrace the fall season – right here in Westchester County. Whether you are looking for an enchanting escape to Irving’s much-loved Sunnyside estate, a venue for apple picking, pumpkin picking and apple cider donuts, the thrill of a haunted attraction, or miles of parks and trails to enjoy beautiful fall foliage – this is just some of what Westchester County has to offer you this fall season.
Latimer said: “With the long holiday weekend upon us, there is no better time to get out and enjoy what is always a spectacular time of year in Westchester County. With all of the activities available to your family and friends, you may find it difficult to fit them all in. Come explore the County’s farms and orchards, visit Scared by the Sound at Rye Playland, stop by the annual Halloween Train Show at Lasdon Park, and if you’re an outdoor enthusiast, hit the hundreds of miles of beautiful County parks and hiking and biking trails. There is always a new and exciting attraction to check out, so make the most of the autumn season with an escape to Westchester County.”
County Parks Commissioner Kathy O’Connor said: “It’s great to put the spotlight on the many programs and activities that we host in the parks year round. In autumn when the mercury drops and the sweaters come out, it’s the ideal time to stroll the parks, marvel at the spectacular foliage, get a few fun frights at our Halloween attractions, find that perfect pumpkin and just get outside and move. There are endless ways to enjoy the parks this season.”
Director of Westchester County Tourism and Film Natasha Caputo said: “The outstanding variety of experiences Westchester County offers in the fall and year-round continues to draw increasing numbers to our hotels, attractions, farms, parkland and more. We drive tourism in the Hudson Valley. Visitor spending grew 5% in the past year alone, reaching record levels and making travel and tourism a $2 billion industry for the County.”
Vice President of Commerce and Communications at Historic Hudson Valley Rob Schweitzer said: “We are excited to kick off the fall season in Sleepy Hollow Country, celebrate Washington Irving’s legacy, and to operate some of the country’s biggest Halloween events right here in Westchester. From the 15th anniversary of The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, to the legendary frights at Horseman’s Hollow in the heart of Sleepy Hollow, Historic Hudson Valley’s events delight, enchant and thrill visitors of all ages.”
Fall into Westchester County Parks with these county-wide seasonal activities:
Pumpkin Picking Weekend
Muscoot Farm, Somers
Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Oct. 12, 13 & 14
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day
Muscoot celebrates autumn with pumpkin picking, hayrides, and much more on Columbus Day weekend. Free admission; fee for pumpkins and hayrides.
Farmers Market at Muscoot
Sundays through October
9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Over 20 farmers offer local produce and food products ranging from cheeses, farm-raised meats, baked goods and specialty items like chutneys and pickles.
Hawk Watch
Lenoir Preserve, Yonkers
Saturdays, Oct. 19, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Bring a chair and binoculars to watch majestic hawks and birds of prey migrating along the Hudson River flyway on the lawn behind the mansion.
Animal Embassy: Anatomy of Fear
Muscoot Farm, Somers
Saturday, Oct. 19, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Kids ages 4 and up can meet incredible live exotic “animal ambassadors” from around the globe. Registration and fee required.
Fall Foliage Walk
Trailside Nature Museum
Saturday, Oct. 19 – guided walk starts at 11 a.m.
Halloween events at Playland
Scared by the Sound
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during October
Beginning at 8 p.m. each night
A 12,000-square-foot enclosed haunted house and outdoor cemetery loaded with a terrifying cast of characters who eagerly await your arrival! Good for kids and adults ages 9 and up.
Hudson Horrors
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during October
Beginning at 7 p.m. each night
This one-hour event uses elements of live theatre and haunted houses to create physical, emotional and psychological experiences. Not recommended for children under age 16.
For more info about tickets for both events at Playland, go to Playlandpark.org.
Halloween in the parks
Halloween Train Show
Lasdon Park, Arboretum and Veterans Memorial
Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 19-20 and 26-27, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Train layout, decorated main house, spooky “eye spy” conservatory stroll, hay maze, pumpkins for sale.
Tickets $10 adults/$5 kids – under age 2 free.
Halloween Boo Bash
Cranberry Lake Preserve, North White Plains
Saturday, Oct. 26, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Come dressed in costume for a candy scavenger hunt and Halloween crafts and refreshments. Call the park to register.
Boo Walk
Muscoot Farm, Somers
Sunday, Oct. 27, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
A non-scary Halloween-themed scavenger hunt around the farm geared toward the younger set, with a Halloween treat as a prize at the end.
Pre-Halloween Celebration
Marshlands Conservancy, Rye
Sunday, Oct. 27, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Halloween fun with treats and stories for kids. Costumes optional.
Halloween on the Farm
Muscoot Farm, Somers
Thursday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Wear your costume and trick-or-treat with the sheep, chickens and goats at the farm.
November
Autumn Bird Walk
Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, Rye
Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Walk around the sanctuary to see seasonal birds.
Lenape of Westchester
Trailside Nature Museum, Cross River
Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Learn what life was like for those who lived here before the Europeans
Fall Shelter Building
Marshlands Conservancy, Rye
Sunday, Nov. 3, 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
How to create a “home in the wild” using what is found in nature.
Leatherman Hike
Trailside Nature Museum, Cross River
Saturday, Nov. 9, 2 p.m. – starts promptly – Michigan Road trailhead
Hike to the Leatherman’s cave.
More things to do
Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard’s Fall Festival will be held every weekend through October 28. Enjoy hayrides, a bounce house, apple cannons, games, live music, farm animals, pony rides, face painting, food and craft vendors. Information is available at www.harvestmoonfarmandorchard.com
Harvest Moon’s fall festival is just the beginning. Westchester County’s rich agricultural heritage lives on in dozens of farms and orchards that beckon for a day of apple and pumpkin picking, cider sipping and more. Visitors will find plenty of inspiration for a country outing in Westchester’s Bounty guide.
Halloween in Sleepy Hollow Country is legendary, and now there’s more frightful fun than ever before! Historic Hudson Valley’s fall events, the largest in the tri-state area, kick off Friday, Sept. 28, and take place on selected evenings through Saturday, Nov. 24. Historic Hudson Valley expects to draw more than 250,000 visitors to Sleepy Hollow Country this fall.
Historic Hudson Valley’s landmark events feature: The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, which features over 7,000 illuminated, individually hand-carved jack o’ lanterns. Horseman’s Hollow, a haunted experience that takes the tale of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow to its darkest extremes. Irving’s ‘Legend’, where Master storytellers Jonathan Kruk and Jim Keyes offer dramatic re-tellings of Washington Irving’s classic tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Home of the ‘Legend’, a family-friendly daytime event with storytelling, crafts, and a spooky tour of Irving’s home.
The Unsilent Picture, an original black and white film based on the Washington Irving story “The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture,” was shot on location at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, and stars Tony Award-winner Bill Irwin. Each screening features live sound effects by a Foley artist. Screenings are Friday-Sunday, with additional screenings on Columbus Day and Halloween.
Brand new for 2019: The Sleepy Hollow Experience at Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, produced by Historic Hudson Valley and Brian Clowdus, is an immersive, musical performance of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, the 169-year old historic cemetery and resting place of Washington Irving offers excellent Halloween fall excursions on its beautiful 90 acres. Tours available include a daytime guided two-hour Classic Tour stopping at the resting places of Washington Irving and Andrew Carnegie, Murder and Mayhem Lantern Tours, and more. See a full listing of tours and special events at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery .
Fall Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, taking place Nov. 4-17, the region’s largest dining event, is a must for foodies. More than 100 Westchester County restaurants are participating with three-course, prix fixe dinner menus for $32.95 per person (plus tax, beverage and gratuity); many also will offer a three-course lunch menu for $22.95.
Lyndhurst is debuting an all-new outdoor sculpture exhibition, Futurescape, featuring large-scale, handmade metal sculptures in eerie, mystical shapes. The classic mansion tour has a Halloween twist this season, with historical objects relating to the supernatural and occult brought out from the archives and put on display along with fall décor in a once-a-year treat. Tours are offered Thursdays through Mondays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended and can be done online.
For the first time ever, the one-of-a-kind Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House is opening its doors for guided tours by appointment. Created as a whimsical summer retreat in 1872 by tea importer Joseph Stiner, this National Historic Landmark's shape was based on the theories of phrenologist Orson Squire Fowler.
Nothing says fall like a hike in the beautiful outdoors and rewarding yourself afterward with a delicious local Craft Beer or Cider. Westchester is home to a top-notch lineup of craft beverage producers with more slated to open in the next few months. Offerings include: Peekskill Brewery, Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, Hardscrabble Cider, Yonkers Brewing Company, Broken Bow Brewery, River Outpost Brewing Company, Wolf & Warrior in White Plains and Decadent Ales in Mamaroneck. Brand new this year are Sing Kill Brewery and soon to open Decadent Ales. And don’t miss South Salem Winery for small batches of hand-crafted wine at picturesque Gossett Bros. Nursery.
Stay and play
Only 30 minutes north of New York City, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tarrytown is conveniently situated in Tarrytown-Sleepy Hollow, a destination uniquely suited for Halloween festivities. Home to Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow, fall events like Horseman's Hollow or The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze are just a short drive away. Book one or both of the packages which includes Anytime VIP tickets to Horseman's Hollow or Jack O 'Lantern Blaze, welcome amenity, breakfast and sleeping room. Rate varies per person. Children 3 years and older must be booked as an adult to receive a ticket. Historic Hudson Valley Warning: This event is NOT suitable for those with a heart condition or pregnant. Not recommended for children under the age of 10 years old. Call (914) 631-5700 or go to www.Tarrytown.DoubleTree.com.
The historic Castle Hotel & Spa in Tarrytown has its own Blaze Pumpkin Package that includes overnight accommodations, a $190 dining credit, two VIP Anytime tickets for the Blaze, and breakfast for two in Equus Restaurant. Contact call (914) 631-1980 or visit the website www.castlehotelandspa.com.
Visitors who book historic Tarrytown House Estate’s BLAZE package can skip the line to one of Westchester’s most popular Halloween attractions, The Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze. The package includes two VIP tickets to the event—a breathtaking display of more than 7,000 illuminated hand-carved jack o’ lanterns—plus a full American breakfast for two in Biddle Mansion the following morning. The BLAZE package is available Oct. 3-31 and every weekend in November. Visit www.tarrytownhouseestate.com.