Blog entries - August 2007

Caught in a web

BlazeBlogger

Spiders have played a role every year in Blaze, and this year will be no different. Well, actually, it sounds like it will be quite a bit different. Creative Director Michael Natiello is planning a big boost in the spider department by changing the scope, placement, and visual impact of Blaze's popular spider web installation.

"The spide [...]

Mighty big tent ya got there

BlazeBlogger

Somebody just slipped the Blaze Blog a preliminary sketch of what will be the new welcoming tent for The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze. Looks to me like the Powers o' Blaze have more than doubled the size of it, to 40 feet by 120 feet.

The text in the image is hard to read at Web size but I'll walk you through it starting with t [...]

Flashback: Blaze 2006 on the airwaves

BlazeBlogger

I recently unearthed yet another video on YouTube featuring The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze 2006. This one is culled from a news report that appeared on RNN-TV, but it doesn't have any call letters or text, just the video feed. Nonetheless, it's worth a viewing just to catch a glimpse of the event's creative director sporting a fab (and fitting) shade of orange.

Enjoy!

{youtube}mnSBEWsVOuc{/youtube}

Them (dino) bones

BlazeBlogger

What's the real history of Van Cortlandt Manor?

Way before the European settlers and way before the Native Americans - way, way before, in fact there were any people at all - dinosaurs ruled the earth and, presumably, the ground on which Van Cortlandt Manor now stands. Blaze Creative Director Michael Natiello plans to hearken back to [...]

Got the goods on the goods

BlazeBlogger

What would a great Halloween extravaganza like The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze be without a great gift shop? Just that, a great Halloween extravaganza sorely lacking a great gift shop. We can't have that. Neither can the Blaze organizers.

Instead, the Powers o' Blaze are already planning an over the top presentation of merch that s [...]

Lending a pair of helping hands...hundreds of them, actually

BlazeBlogger

Historic Hudson Valley is by no means a tiny sprout of an operation, but staging an event like The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze poses manpower-related challenges. Imagine just the volume of scooping, lighting, re-scooping, and re-lighting alone! Blaze organizers tell me extra hands are essential and very much welcome. Last year [...]

Let there be (pumpkin) light

BlazeBlogger

I’ve just learned that the entrance tent for The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze will be significantly expanded this year and with have some cool new features, including – believe it or not – chandeliers made out of pumpkins. Now THAT sounds cool. The chandeliers are being designed by Michael Natiello, creative di [...]

Where do they come from?

BlazeBlogger

We’re continuing to track the progress of the pumpkins that will be on display at The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze. The little gourds are starting to grow up and soon we’ll have more pictures to share. Visitors commonly ask the Blaze organizers where all these gourds come from. All of the pumpkins – thousands and thousands of pounds of p [...]