More than 4,000 hand-carved pumpkins will be illuminated around the grounds of the Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson this month for the annual Great Jack-o-Lantern Blaze.

The pumpkins, some real and some manmade, will be grouped by theme around the property. There will be dinosaurs and their prehistoric relatives, an aquarium, insects, Celtic knots, a gigantic spider web, famous and funny faces, ghosts and scary scenes. New this year is “Pumpkin Henge,” based on the historic Stonehenge.

Artistic director Michael Natiello coordinated the work of hundreds of volunteers and professional artists and carvers to create an amazing panorama of pumpkin art.
There’s also a gift shop with jewelry, pumpkin accessories, books and home accessories to brighten Halloween celebrations.

The annual event attracts sell-out crowds, so make reservations soon. Historic Hudson Valley sponsors the display, which will be open Oct. 10-13, 17-10 and 25-31.

For information and tickets, contact Historic Hudson Valley at (914) 631-8200 or online at www.hudsonvalley.org. Admission is $15 for adults, and $10 for children ages 5-17. Children under 5 are admitted free, but must have tickets.