Photo by Tom NYCZ For Historic Hudson Valley
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, a spooky circus, a four-time Grammy Award-winning musical, and more make the month special.
By Katie Cristiano and Molly Reinmann
Ongoing through Nov 19
Pumpkin Paradise
Lovers of the spooky season can rejoice when The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze overtakes Van Cortlandt Manor. Immerse yourself in a world of autumnal enchantment at this pumpkin extravaganza featuring more than 7,000 illuminated, hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns fashioned into a variety of interactive displays. Take a trek across the Pumpkin Zee Bridge, or see the stars only feet above your head in the glittering Pumpkin Planetarium.
Oct 18
The Horror!
Feel like you’ve stepped back in time when what many consider to be the world’s first horror movie receives a spooky soundtrack courtesy of live band, The Invincible Czars. The five-member ensemble adds a fun dimension and plenty of interesting sonic twists to the canonical German Expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, which tells the tale of a sleepwalker under the control of a nefarious figure, onscreen this month Yonkers’ Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
Oct 22
Spooky Circus
Ever wondered if zombies can cartwheel? At The Vampire Circus a host of creepy characters engage in impressive gymnastics, and much more. The Tarrytown Music Hall is bringing back the spooky part-circus-part-theater production — replete with breathtaking acrobatics, funny quips, audience interaction, contortionists, jugglers, and comedians — which plays like an amusing cross between the work of Tim Burton and Cirque Du Soleil.
Oct 6–22
New Heights
Hamilton creator Lin Manuel Miranda’s four-time Grammy Award Winning musical In The Heights is coming to Westchester. Catch this energetic production onstage at the White Plains Performing Arts Center, featuring a live orchestra backing up all the breathtaking costumes and sets. The musical tells the story of three generations living, learning, and falling in love in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood.
Oct 13
Masterwork
Calling all fans of jazz and classical music! This fall, Grammy Award-winning jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis is hitting the Performing Arts Center stage at Purchase College. Joined by the legendary music collective Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Marsalis and company will perform a compelling program that blends jazz with classical music.
Oct 13 through Jan 14
Beast Mode
Come face-to-face with prowling panthers, magnificent horses, and dazzling peacocks in this animalistic exhibition on show at the Hudson River Museum from October 13 to January 14. A play on Charles Darwin’s scientific theory, Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art features multi-media works including animal imagery in contemporary settings, often with links to human civilization and our outsized impact on the natural world.
Oct 19–22
Sustainable Scare
You’ve heard of a haunted house, but what about a haunted greenhouse? New Rochelle’s Wildcliff is combining spooky and sustainable this Halloween, with Dr. Wildcliff’s Haunted Greenhouse & Mansion. At Hudson Park, visitors can explore the creepy aftermath of Dr. Wildcliff’s vegetal catastrophe as they trek through an eerie corn maze and a supernatural greenhouse. The event is family-friendly and includes pumpkin doughnuts and hot chocolate for those who enjoy a sweet treat with the scares.
Oct 19–22, 26–29
Hair-Raising History
Experience Lyndhurst Mansion in all its ghostly glory this fall with Lyndhurst After Dark. Intrepid guests can tour the iconic Tarrytown manor while learning about Victorian mourning traditions through architecture and special collections pulled straight from the Gilded Age. After exploring winding stairwells and sneaking through creaky rooms, enjoy a delicious array of refreshments and snacks available for purchase to lift the spirits.
Related: This Haunted Tavern Will Give You More Than Booze Near Westchester
