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?

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!

It's around 10 p.m., and October 20 has become the first Blaze date to sell out completely. Other dates are on its heels...

I've just learned that there was a glitch with tickets that were purchased from about 5 last night till about 11 this morning. (Those of you who were asking earlier if the site was down or tickets are sold out, apparently the site was down briefly this morning while the glitch was being fixed.)

Ticket buyers receive two e-mails: The first is a confirmation, while the second contains a link to the PDF of the tickets. But, for those of you who bought during this time frame (5 last night till this morning), the PDF is only one page, and hence only one ticket. The PDF should have one page PER TICKET. Thus, if you bought five tickets, the PDF should have five pages to print out.

For those who bought tickets during this time frame and got faulty PDFs, the Powers o' Blaze ticketing will be sending tickets via snail mail. I'm told they know exactly who was affected. So, don't worry. Here's what they said:

We apologize for a glitch in our system. You will receive paper tickets via regular mail, and your eticket(s) will be voided. The tickets will be mailed to the address you provided in your Guest Record.

Again, our apologies.

The glitch is now corrected and the system is up and functional.

Some folks have called or written inquiring about when the sun sets on Blaze evenings so they can plan accordingly. Great question!

If there's a knowledge gap, I aim to fill it. Thus, below are the relevant sunset times for Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., according to the folks at the U.S. Naval Observatory. And remember, Daylight Savings Time continues throughout October this year, so the following are all shown in DST.

I should note, however, that Blaze works in any light, from the dim throes of final daylight, to dusk, to illuminated dark, to pitch black. Of course, the effect changes as the evening goes on (all the better for repeat, different time viewings).

When perusing the sunset times, keep in mind that Van Cortlandt Manor is wooded and kinda tucked into a valley. Darkness falls with some force.

For those who want to be darn sure it's as black as can be, be sure to book a 9 or 9:30 visit. No midnight sun, here.

Oct. 5 - 6:31
Oct. 6 - 6:30
Oct. 7 - 6:28
Oct. 11 - 6:21
Oct. 12 - 6:20
Oct. 13 - 6:18
Oct. 14 - 6:17
Oct. 18 - 6:11
Oct. 19 - 6:09
Oct. 20 - 6:08
Oct. 21 - 6:06
Oct. 24 - 6:02
Oct. 25 - 6:01
Oct. 26 - 5:59
Oct. 27 - 5:58
Oct. 28 - 5:56
Oct. 29 - 5:55
Oct. 30 - 5:54
Oct. 31 - 5:53