Community News

Halloween Season an Economic Boom for Area

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September 30, 2014

Last year’s media frenzy around the television show Sleepy Hollow is fueling this season’s tourism in its namesake village and Tarrytown.

Greater Sleepy Hollow Tarrytown Chamber of Commerce co-president Theresa McCarthy, who tended bar this time last year at Tarry Tavern, said, “We had extra staff, ordered extra inventory, and couldn’t keep up with the crowds.” She added that the tourism fliers on display in the lobby had to be constantly replaced when the establishment ran out of material.

“Lots of tourists from Europe came in one day, and no one expected the crowds, which we attributed to the premiere of Sleepy Hollow,” she said.
The Village of Tarrytown secured additional sponsorship for its Halloween Parade (October 25; rain date is October 26). “It’s a huge attraction. More sponsors means the village can add more events: additional stilt walkers, entertainment, prizes for best costumes,” McCarthy explained. This year, four sponsors are contributing between $500 and $1,000 each.
“October is by far our busiest month of the year,” Lyndhurst Executive Director Howard Zar said. “Half of the yearly visitation is during that month.”
What drives business, Zar explained, is partly Mother Nature, and partly location – Lyndhurst’s proximity to Sleepy Hollow.
“People who aren’t aware of Halloween come because it’s a beautiful time of year, and we get the impact of fall foliage,” he said. Because Lyndhurst has the only daytime Halloween event, “it’s a big deal, and the site’s largest dollar-volume holiday.”
Inclement weather is no deterrent for “Jay Ghoul’s House of Curiosities:” an indoor event boasts the tag line, “There’s a monster in every family!” An acting troupe leads guests through the Halloween-decorated Gothic Revival mansion to the basement. “This year’s theme highlights classic movies like Bride of Frankenstein, Phantom of the Opera, The Mummy and Tippi Hedren, lead actress in Hitchcock’s The Birds.
Lyndhurst’s presentation is unique and unlike the typical funhouse. “The lighting is beautifully spooky, not the stuff from which nightmares are made, and appropriate for kids of all ages,” Zar said. There are side exits for kids who are scared and want to leave with their parents.
During the daytime, “Lyndhurst Mansion Tours with a Halloween Twist” features autumnal decorations and a tribute to classic movie monsters. Zar advised buying tickets early; however, some spaces are available closer to the time of the event.
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery began preparing for Halloween last month with a September 13 special night focusing on renowned author Roald Dahl.
“With all the other fun things going on around town, and the second season of Fox’s series Sleepy Hollow, we are expecting a great season and have hired a few more guides in anticipation,” Programs, Tours and Visitor Services Director Christina Orban-La Salle said. “We added more walking tours and increased the frequency of the one-hour daytime tour, ‘The Original Knickerbocker,’ to appeal to those who might not be able to devote a full two hours to a cemetery stroll.”
Its October programs include “An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe, Spooky Stories From Six Feet Under,” and “Beyond the Legend: Irving’s Ghost Stories.”
Castle Hotel and Spa in Tarrytown flourishes in the fall. “We built a package around the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, and we sell tickets to Horseman’s Hollow,” Castle public relations assistant Brittney Baeriswil said. “Business definitely skyrocketed as a result of Sleepy Hollow.”
As of mid-September, Baeriswil said only 10 weekend packages (September through November) remain, and 70 additional Blaze packages were sold. “We’re thrilled, and we couldn’t be more busy.”
There’s a chance you can “do the time warp again” and see film-favorite, Rocky Horror Show at The Tarrytown Music Hall, if it fits into the weekend concert schedule. Although Executive Director Björn Olsson said the venue isn’t “terribly affected one way or the other on Halloween.” The weekend is usually good for business. To placate the spirits, Music Hall volunteers decorate the theater. “Right now, it seems like we’re looking at a great fall season, Halloween included,” Olsson said.
With close to 2,500 people attending Sleepy Hollow’s renowned Haunted Hayride last year, Village Administrator Anthony Giaccio said the village is anticipating another successful hayride and Beekman Avenue block party October 24 and 25. “Lines began to form at 4 p.m. for a 7 p.m. start,” Giaccio said.
“There’s lots of expectation about the show, and while the hayride pays for itself, the village tries to break even,” he added. This year, $67,000 was budgeted cumulatively for the event, block party and overtime costs for the DPW and police.
Costs are also offset by sponsors, thus any organization wishing to help fund the hayride can contact the village at 914-366-5105. What’s more, the village has added a second event this year:
Horan’s Landing will be transformed into a performance venue with a tent and timed shows from Westchester Circus Arts, Rivertown Artists Workshop, and local storyteller and classically-trained actor David Neilsen that will be sponsored by Hudson Harbor and National RE/sources.