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 that stone age in October with a brand-new, sure to delight display of "life-size" dinosaur skeletons. All, of course, made outta pumpkins.

Blaze Blogger caught up with Natiello today on his grand dino plan.

"It will be inspired by the landscape of the past and the creatures that lived here millions of years ago," said Natiello, "The Great Paleozoic Museum that was originally planned for Central Park in the late 19^th century, but never actually created, is also a source of inspiration."

He added, "It is my ambition to actualize Andrew Green and Benjamin Hawkins' original vision...only using jack o'lanterns to create what Andrew Green, in a letter inviting Hawkins to create the museum, called ‘a group of animals of the former periods of the American Continent."'

The dinosaur installation will feature the classic clash between T-rex and stegosaurus - depicting their exact skeletal structure - as well as some other (smaller) dinosaurs, flora, and fauna, all, of course, entirely made from pumpkins. (Shown here is Faith Butterfield, a seasoned carver, VCM interpreter, fashion designer, and seamstress, working on dino-bone carvings.)

Way, way cool if you ask me. This is a seriously ambitious installation. I hope he can pull it off...

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 should satisfy (they hope) even the most die-hard pumpkin/Blaze/Halloween aficionado. 

I've just learned the Blaze Shop, the last stop on the tour after the path of pumpkins, is expanding in size this year. For my money, some of the coolest new items will be the ones that are 100% Blaze specific and available there and there only, such as t-shirts, caps, magnets, paperweights, and mugs, all adorned with Blaze imagery.

But the highlight, (which, quite frankly, I can't even believe they are offering) has to be art-pumpkins hand-carved ON SITE by local artists. That's just incredible. It's like taking home a piece of the actual event! And, because they are art-pumpkins ("funkins," as they're referred to in the pumpkin trade), they'll never rot. 

But wait, there's more! Matted and framed wood-cut Blaze prints, 3D pumpkin postcards, journals and postcards featuring carved pumpkins from Blaze, porcelain pumpkin plates, platters, tureens, pitchers, lanterns, teapots, glass pumpkin ornaments...

OK, my head is spinning. Perhaps something to eat will help. The Powers o' Blaze Shop thought of that as well. They are offering pumpkin and ginger cookies, pumpkin pancake mix, Jack O'Lantern cookies, creme pumpkin candies, pumpkin cobbler, and pumpkin shortbread cookies.

And of course, you can adorn yourself head to toe in glow and/or flash in the dark necklaces, bracelets, rings, pins, and earrings.

There will also be more than 50 books for all ages such as "Spooky Pumpkin" "The Truth about Jack O'Lanterns" (uh oh), and "The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin." (I need to get my hands on a copy of that last one to see what all the fierceness is about.) 

Many popular items from last year will make a guest appearance, including BlazeBlogger's personal favorite, the punching pumpkin pen, pictured here. 

Are they missing anything?

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 director for the Blaze.

The enlarged tent will help Blaze organizers with two goals this year. One is to provide full pumpkin ambiance well before visitors enter the illuminated path. And besides serving as a palette for clever pumpkin tricks, the tent will provide better circulation and access for the thousands of visitors who flock to Van Cortlandt Manor each night of the Blaze.

Better circulation is also leading to discussions about the area in front of the Manor House, which leads to the narrow “Long Walk.” As Gabe from Long Island points out in comments on an earlier entry , that area can bottleneck easily as visitors take pictures and gawk at the spectacle of the house lit with pumpkins, then funnel down the Long Walk. Blaze organizers are hoping a more defined path in front of the house will alleviate the issue. Got other suggestions? Let me know and I’ll pass them along.

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 pumpkins – come from the Wallkill View Farm in New Paltz, N.Y.

 

This family-owned and -operated farm is well worth a day trip, not only to check on the status of their pumpkins, but to take home a variety of tasty treats from the Wallkill View Farm Stand, which offers a bevy of fresh goods. Check out their Web site here.

Maybe the hardest thing about planting pumpkins is not succumbing to the urge to toast, salt, and munch ALL the seeds before you get them in the ground.

The folks at Wallkill View Farm, however, where Historic Hudson Valley gets pound after pound of pumpkin for The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, seem to have no problem planting these precious pumpkin seeds. (Perhaps they eat Corn Nuts instead?)

Here at the Blaze Blog, we’re continuing to patiently watch the little sprouts…well…sprout. Thousands of pounds of pumpkin they will soon be.

Check out this picture, taken in mid-June, of the little guy shown in the Blaze Blog’s first entry. Somehow, somewhere, a pumpkin is in there just waiting to burst out…Vibrant orange, olé!