The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze YouTube Video Contest

Visitors Can Post Video Online To Win a Plasma Television Package
Historic Hudson Valley’s own Blaze Video is Online

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, NY (Sept. 26, 2007) - Video-savvy visitors to The Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze, the largest ticketed Halloween event in the tri-state area, are encouraged to demonstrate their skills by posting an original Blaze video on YouTube for a chance to win a plasma television package.

To enter, visitors must attend the event and film during its first two weekends, Oct. 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, or 14, and post their video by 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 17. The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze features more than 4,000 individually hand-carved pumpkins lit up throughout the wooded walkways, orchards, and gardens of historic Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.

The published video that in the view of Historic Hudson Valley's judges best achieves the contest goal wins its creator a Hitachi 42-inch, flat-screen, 1080i HD plasma television, a Toshiba 1080i HD DVD player, and a collection of DVDs of classic Halloween movies, all provided by K104.7 Radio.

Exceptional production values and elaborate special effects are not necessary. The winning video will be no longer than three minutes in length and will best capture the creativity and excitement of The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze experience. The contest is free to enter; tripods are not allowed on site. Full contest details and requirements are online at www.hudsonvalley.org.

Historic Hudson Valley's own Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze video can be found at http://youtube.com/watch?v=gOZNAaUFXEI, or view it on the Blaze Blog (www.hudsonvalley.org/blazeblog), which is chronicling all of the event's preparations.

The Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze is a Halloween spectacle integrating thousands of hand-carved pumpkins - everything from your standard Jack O' Lantern to extremely elaborate abstract designs. New displays this year will include life-sized dinosaur skeletons, a massive spider web installation, and the "Dead Sea," featuring schools of skeletal fish, a complement to the popular "Undersea Aquarium," a dramatic display of ocean life. Other returning favorites include carvings of Celtic knots, mushrooms, slithering snakes, and more.

Blaze takes place Oct. 5-7, 11-14, 18-21, and 24-31. The first reservation each evening is at 6:30. Advance tickets are a must. Ticket prices for Blaze vary by evening: $14-16 for adults, $10-12 for ages 5-17, and free for children under five. Admission is by timed ticket only. Buy tickets online at www.hudsonvalley.org or by calling 914-631-8200 ($2 per ticket surcharge for phone orders).

Blaze Title Sponsor is Entergy Nuclear, Blaze Participating Sponsor is Union State Bank, and Blaze Media Sponsor is 100.7 WHUD.

Van Cortlandt Manor is at 525 South Riverside Avenue, just off Route 9 in Croton-on-Hudson. Blaze is held rain or shine and is suitable for children. All proceeds support Historic Hudson Valley, the non-profit educational organization which owns and operates Van Cortlandt Manor and produces the event.

Historic Hudson Valley is a network of six historic sites in Sleepy Hollow Country and the Great Estates region; Washington Irving's Sunnyside; Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate, a historic site of the National Trust; Philipsburg Manor; the Union Church of Pocantico Hills; Van Cortlandt Manor; and Montgomery Place Historic Estate.