Historic Hudson Valley - So this is how it all begins...

So this is how it all begins...

How far ahead do the folks at Historic Hudson Valley need to start planning for the following year's Blaze? Well, let's see...the final evening of Blaze 2006 was Sunday, Oct. 22, meaning that preparations for '07's festivities began in earnest on...Oct. 23...

Well, maybe not that early, but you get the idea. There's an enormous number of things to think about, especially given the huge expansion HHV is planning for the 2007 Blaze. Nineteen nights...all new installations (mixed in with the classics, of course)...seems like the marching orders for everything Blaze-related this year are "bigger" and "better."

Of course, it all starts with the pumpkins, grown right here in the Hudson Valley. Pictured are the first seedlings, planted on May 30.

We'll watch their progress on the Blaze Blog right through pickin' time.

Comments (3)

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And they are setting it up now..
written by Home at Here in Circleville OHIO, October 15, 2007 @ 02:08 PM

Just a little note to the Pumpkin Aficionado.. I live downtown Circleville Ohio.. and they almost have it all set up. Be sure to come and take a look this week.. www.pumpkinshow.com
It's sure to be great yet again!!! THE GREATEST FREE SHOW ON EARTH.
( nowhere in the world can anything compare!) And yep.. no one is working around here for much longer and the kids will be out of school tommorow. Let the fun begin!!!

Reminds me of Keene
written by BlazeBlogger, August 07, 2007 @ 09:45 AM

Dave: Thanks for your comment. The description of Circleville's festival sounds like the Keene Pumpkin Festival, which takes place in (of course) Keene, N.H. I checked it out last year and while it's fun to see so many pumpkins in one place, I dare say that the Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor is far superior because of the presentation, the artistic nature of the carvings, and the fact that it's a total immersion experience. Of course, the Keene and Circleville pumpkin festivals have a totally different dynamic and intention, so perhaps it's not really fair to compare.

In any event, hope you can travel to the Hudson Valley in October and see the Blaze!

Pumpkin Aficionado
written by Dave, August 05, 2007 @ 12:56 AM

First, hello to my dear friend Liz Molinari at HHV. Well, I was born and raised in the "pumpkin capital" of the U.S. -- Circleville, Ohio, the home of the famed Circleville Pumpkin Show, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2006. The Pumpkin Show is always held the third week in October, so in 2007 it will be Oct. 17-20. One of the highlights of the event is the weigh-in of the biggest pumpkin. There's an ongoing friendly feud between the Circleville Pumpkin Show and a similar event in Half Moon Bay, California, concerning the weight of the biggest pumpkin. Since the event in my hometown is focused on the harvest (Circleville used to be a major canning center for pumpkin and other food products), and not on making Jack-O-Lanterns, there is surprisingly little carving or artistic use of the orange-colored squash. Instead, they are displayed on a large pyramid stand in the center of the festival, which fills several blocks of the town. The Circleville Pumpkin Show bills itself as "The Greatest Free Show on Earth," because various performances of music, dance, etc., are offered at no cost throughout the event and there's no admission charge to attend. The streets of Circleville, located about 20 miles south of Columbus, are filled with carnival rides and games, food stands offering every type of pumpkin specialty you can imagine (pumpkin ice cream, waffles, fudge, burgers, deep-fried blossoms, pie and other unique delicacies), and there are parades every day...the baby parade, the Little Miss Pumpkin Show parade, the Miss Pumpkin Show contest, and the parade of the bands. Schools are dismissed from Wednesday through Friday, and many workplaces are closed. It's the biggest thing to happen in the town all year, and everyone looks forward to it. I have wonderful memories of the Circleville Pumpkin Show, and just thought you might like to know about it.

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BlazeBlogger and HVBlogger report on everything happening at Historic Hudson Valley. Talk to us about your HHV experiences! Send us cool images and video and we just might post 'em. On Facebook? Become a fan of the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze. On Twitter? Follow us! twitter.com/HHValley. On MySpace? Make friends with the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Bloggin' 'bout HHV

BlazeBlogger and HVBlogger report on everything happening at Historic Hudson Valley.

Talk to us about your HHV experiences! Send us cool images and video and we just might post 'em.

On Facebook? Become a fan of the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze.

On Twitter? Follow us! twitter.com/HHValley.

On MySpace? Make friends with the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze.

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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