As anyone who even occasionally glances at this blog knows, Blaze begins tonight. Last-minute preparations are going fast and furious. Our slithering friend on the left is definitely ready for viewing. This shot was taken at last night's dry-run.

Tickets for this weekend are almost entirely gone. Some availability remains for 9 p.m. tonight and Sunday and 9:30 p.m. tomorrow, but that's it. The other Saturdays (Oct. 13, 20 and 27) are now totally sold out.

A REMINDER: Don't forget about the Blaze YouTube Video Contest. Those who are roaming amidst the pumpkins this weekend or next are encouraged to use their videography and/or photography skills to make a great Blaze YouTube video. The winner takes home a 42-inch plasma television, high-def DVD player, and a bunch of DVDs. Not a bad haul!

Entering is free. For full information, check out the link on the right-hand side of this page.

Who is going tonight?

Next up in the MtC series is Dorene Picker, assistant art director to Michael Natiello.

BB: What's your day job?
JDP: Lots of Blaze functions, working as an interpreter and security guard at Van Cortlandt Manor, professional mixologist, and full-time grad student.

BB: What kind of carvings are you working on for Blaze 2007?
JDP: A bit of each theme.

BB: Are you working on any other Blaze-related items?
JDP: General setup and funkin repairs. 

BB: What are your preferred carving tools and methods?
JDP: X-Acto #2 and #11 blades, keyhole saws.

BB: Got any carving tips for a novice?
JDP: Use one pumpkin to "test" different cuts and techniques on before working on your final product.

BB: What's your favorite pumpkin-based food?
JDP: Cream of pumpkin soup.

BB: What's your favorite Halloween movie?
JDP: Hocus Pocus, but the Harry Potter movies, Silence of the Lambs, and Hannibal count, too!

BB: Toasted pumpkin seeds: Salt or no salt?
JDP: Extra sea salt, please.

BB: What makes pumpkins so special?
JDP: They are versatile and they are (or were, at least) unique to United States Halloween traditions.

BB: If I were a carved pumpkin, I'd be...
JDP: A detailed dragon.

BB: Thank you, Dorene!

October 13 has just gone the way of October 20: Sold out.

As you can probably imagine, the Blaze bees are in serious overdrive mode this week, buzzing around the hive that is Van Cortlandt Manor, with the event kicking off THIS Friday. Lots to do, of course, and lots getting done. Below: a smattering of images to further whet your pumpkin appetite.

Clockwise from top left you're seeing the outer bounds of what is in the process of becoming an elaborate labyrinth (or maze, not sure yet. And the difference is what, exactly?). Visitors who remember this area from last year can see from this image that it's going to be nearly three times as big. Next, boxes upon boxes of pumpkins from Wallkill View Farm just waiting to be carved. Then you see a pile of wrought iron stakes from which candle lanterns are hung throughout the property. (Atmospherics...oh yeah.) And finally, a finished pumpkin chandelier, complete with "wax" drippings, for the entrance tent. Those are going to be outta sight!

Many of you have asked about the carvers whose magical fingers make The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze such a satisfying spectacle. To that end, I dug out my trusty reporter's notebook and went behind the scenes to dig up some info on the folks behind the knives. The Blaze Blog's new series, Meet the Carvers, begins today with Blaze Creative Director and head carver Michael Natiello.

BB: What's your day job?
MN: Professional coffee drinker.

BB: What kind of carvings are you working on for Blaze 2007?
MN: Top secret experimental kind.

BB: Are you working on any other Blaze-related items?
MN: I'm currently working with a lighting designer (Jay Woods) and musicians (Jim Keyes and Cosmic Moth) to create new special effects and a new musical score for the event. 

BB: What are your preferred carving tools and methods?
MN: For tools, I prefer a cordless drill, woodworking routers, a utility knife, a "leatherman," and linoleum block cutters. My preferred method? Carefully.

BB: Got any carving tips for a novice?
MN: Carve quickly but carefully

BB: What's your favorite pumpkin-based food?
MN: Pizza.
BB: Ewww...
MN: Sorry.

BB: What's your favorite Halloween movie?
MN: Frank Zappa's Baby Snakes.

BB: Toasted pumpkin seeds: Salt or no salt?
MN: Sea salt, preferably from the Dead Sea.

BB: What makes pumpkins so special?
MN: Their native spirit.

BB: If I were a carved pumpkin, I'd be...
MN: Composted.

BB: Thank you, Michael!