The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze combines lights, music, and over 7000 hand carved jack-o’-lanterns to craft a family friendly Halloween experience.
Lara Rydesky
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is a Long Island treat that screams Halloween!
Looking for a spectacle this spooky season? The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze transforms the Old Bethpage Village Restoration into a pumpkin-filled Halloween experience that’s fun for the whole family.
Visitors are sent down the trails of the historic Old Bethpage Village Restoration for an estimated 45 minute trek. The path features over 7000 hand carved jack-o’-lanterns in elaborate, lit up displays of spooky Long Island history, complete with soundtracks and fog machines.
The original location in Hudson Valley has been running for nearly 20 years, but it wasn’t until more recently that organizers thought it was time to bring the fall festivities to a second region of New York.
“We wanted to partner with another historic site, and we found this great partner here at Old Bethpage Village Restoration,” said Rob Schweitzer, Vice President of Historic Hudson Valley and Spokesperson for the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze Long Island. “They were really enthusiastic about us coming here.”
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze introduces new and original designs each year. Its fifth anniversary brings a Day of the Dead installation, with dancing mariachi and sugar skulls carved into stacks of pumpkins. Also new this year is a functioning Ferris wheel in its circus-themed section, although its only passengers are, you guessed it, more pumpkins.
Despite being a distinctly Halloween attraction, Blaze aims to dazzle, rather than scare, its guests.
“You’ll see a lot of little kids in strollers here. Nothing to be scared of, nobody’s going to jump out at you or anything like that,” said Schweitzer. “But it really captures that Halloween atmosphere, that Halloween mood, and we want to give people an alternative something to do that really works for all ages.”
Visitors will purchase tickets ahead of time for a designated time slot, and wait in line until admission into the village. Adult tickets run close to $60, and children’s sit at $10. All proceeds go to support both the Historic Hudson Valley and Old Bethpage Village Restoration.
The event will continue to run Wednesdays through Sundays until November 3. For more information, visit PumpkinBlaze.org.
