Stand back, as the Headless Horseman rides past across Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow. Give in to the shivers as you listen to scary stories told in New York State�s oldest wine cellars. Take a tour of a �haunted� Gothic Revival castle on the banks of the Hudson River. This year, experience Halloween with a historic twist, in Westchester County, NY.

Several events are scheduled; most targeted to children, some tailored especially for an older crowd. Take note of the following Halloween happenings (listed in chronological order), and plan an October visit to Westchester County, just north of New York City, the gateway to the Hudson Valley. Call ahead for directions and admission fees.

Halloween 2004 Events in Westchester County, New York

October 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31 (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Halloween) �Scared by the Sound� Playland Amusement Park, Rye 914-813-7000 or 877-SCARY FUN An interactive haunted house experience at Playland, one of America�s oldest amusement parks. Ghouls and goblins inhabit a giant 4,000-square foot haunted crypt and graveyard. www.ryeplayland.org or www.darkattractions.com

October 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31 (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Halloween) New Rochelle�s Famous Haunted House New Rochelle Armory, New Rochelle 914-632-5700 An interactive haunted house covering with entirely new sets and 25 live actors, in over 15,000 square feet of space. Starting Friday night from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday 5p.m.to 9 p.m., with a special show for children running from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

October 16 (Saturday) Fall Festival Greenburgh Nature Center, Scarsdale 914-723-3470 Family event featuring hayrides, scarecrow-making contest, jack-o-lantern carving, cider making, scavenger hunt, a petting zoo, food and live music. www.townlink.com/community_web/gnc

October 17 (Sunday) Scary Stories Washington Irving�s Sunnyside, Tarrytown 914-631-8200, ext. 618 Actor / comedian Robert Klein presents scary stories. Refreshments and candlelight tours of Sunnyside are part of the evening�s activities. Storytelling begins at 7:00 p.m. Reservations required. www.writerscenter.org

October 22, 23 (Friday and Saturday) Dramatic Reading of Washington Irving's �The Legend of Sleepy Hollow� The Old Dutch Church, Sleepy Hollow 914-631-1123 Ward James Riley reads the immortal tale in the same whitewashed church that Ichabod Crane vainly tried to reach by outrunning the Headless Horseman. 8:00 p.m. Reservations are necessary. On weekends, tours of the churchyard are offered. Washington Irving is buried in the old churchyard. Other gravestones include names familiar to readers of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, including the Van Tassel family. www.olddutchburyingground.org

October 23 (Saturday) Victorian Halloween Magic-Lantern Show Jacob Burns Film Center, Pleasantville 914-747-5555 An authentic 1980�s visual extravaganza projected on a full-size screen. Halloween stories like The Raven ghostly animated comedy and spooky songs, all dramatized on screen by a live showman and singer/pianist. www.burnsfilmcenter.org

October 23 (Saturday) Halloween Night Walk Greenburgh Nature Center, Scarsdale 914-723-3470 Groups walk through the Center�s woodland trails in the darkness, lit only by glowing pumpkins, where they encounter safe but spooky scenes and eerie events. Great for families with children ages 5-10. www.townlink.com/community_web/gnc

October 23 & 24 (Saturday & Sunday) Scarecrows and Pumpkins Parade Greenburgh Nature Center, Scarsdale 914-723-3470 Follow the friendly scarecrows along a pumpkin trail. Come in costume and enjoy a hay ride, cider, donuts, face-painting and more. www.townlink.com/community_web/gnc

October 23, 24, 30, and 31 (Saturdays, Sundays and Halloween) Spooky House Osceola Beach and Picnic Grounds, Jefferson Valley 914-245-3246 As part of the �Family Fall Festival�, the Spooky House will feature �Pik n� Paint a Pumpkin,� hay rides, face painting, craft vendors and character appearances. 12:00-5:00 p.m. www.osceolabeach.com

October 24 (Sunday) Seventh Annual Spooks and Spirits in Wine Cellars: Storytelling with Jonathan Kruk Croton Point Nature Center, Croton Point Park 914-862-5297 Storytelling program of spooky tales by Washington Irving, Edgar Allen Poe, and others in the Park�s historic wine cellars, thought to be the oldest commercial cellars in New York State. The Croton Point Nature Center offers a year-round schedule of interpretive programs. Free. www.westchestergov.com/parks

October 24 (Sunday) Victorian Halloween Party The Lyndhurst Estate, Tarrytown 914-631-4481 At 12:00 p.m., the Lyndhurst estate will be transformed into a spooky family mystery tour suitable for children of all ages. Fun Halloween activities include 19th century games, crafts, face painting, story-telling, witches and trick or treating. www.lyndhurst.org

October 29, 30, 31 (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) Legend Weekend Washington Irving�s Sunnyside in Tarrytown, and Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow 914-631-8200 A range of family activities are offered, as these historic sites become haunted landscapes. Storytelling, puppet shows, and woodland walks are offered during the day. After dark, Irving�s �Legend of Sleepy Hollow� comes to life, as the Headless Horseman rides through the grounds of Philipsburg Manor, the 18th century farm and mill site located along the route of Ichabod Crane�s flight. www.hudsonvalley.org

October 30 (Saturday) Halloween Hoopla Cranberry Lake Preserve, North White Plains 914-428-1005 An afternoon of family-friendly Halloween activities, such as a candy hunt and fun crafts, followed by apple cider and Halloween cookies. www.westchestergov.com/parks

October 30 (Saturday) Nosferatu with the Alloy Orchestra Jacob Burns Film Center, Pleasantville 914-747-5555 Nosferatu, the greatest and scariest vampire movie of all time, will be accompanied live with the Allow Orchestra, the best known silent film accompanists in the world. www.burnsfilmcenter.org

October 31 (Sunday) The Witches Jacob Burns Film Center, Pleasantville 914-747-5555 In one of the most fun and adventurous Halloween kids� movies, a young orphan is taken to England by his grandmother. At a hotel in which they are staying, a group of witches have gathered to prepare a plot to rid the world of all children. Based on the book by Roald Dahl. www.burnsfilmcenter.org

October 31 (Sunday) Halloween Farm Tractor Party and Children�s �Boo Walk� Muscoot Farm, Somers 914-864-7282 Family fun day, with a Children's "Boo" walk, a barnyard scavenger hunt, and a miniature tractor pull. The Yorktown Iron and Smoke Club members will also be displaying their antique tractors. 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Free. www.westchestergov.com/parks

October 30, 31 (Saturday and Sunday) The Greater New York Wine and Food Expo Lyndhurst, Tarrytown (914) 631-4481 Lyndhurst will be featuring over 150 vintners, where there will also be the chance to see cooking demonstrations by local and celebrity chefs, such as Ming Tsai, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission ranges from $50 to $65, with tasting glass included. A Grand Tasting Tent will showcase wines from over 250 wineries. There will also be Carriage House seminars with experts including Leslie Sbrocco, Ed McCarthy, Jean-Lous Carbonnier. Sponsored by the Journal News. www.lyndhurst.org

October 29 � 31 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) �Made in Italy� Innovation Expo Westchester County Center, White Plains (914) 939-0110 The first �Made in Italy Innovation Expo� will give Italian companies a chance to present their products and services to potential qualified American importers and the general public. The expo will include wines, foods, the finest olive oils, as well as services such as tourism, fashion and more. Friday 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. www.Americadesk.org

For more information about fall events in Westchester County, including suggested fall foliage driving tours, contact the Westchester County Office of Tourism at (800) 833-9282, or visit www.westchestertourism.com.

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Media Contact: Traci Suppa +1 (914) 995-8500 tls1@westchestergov.com