Historic Hudson Valley
Halloween festivities at Sleepy Hallow
The industrial city of North Tarrytown has reinvented itself thanks to its headless horseman. On Halloween, it’s a hit. Sleepy Hollow lives on myths.
In the North American city formerly called North Tarrytwon, Horses pass by, scary noises sound and you can even read tarot cards. At Halloween time, which is celebrated on October 31st, what is now Sleepy Hollow, in New York, becomes a true tourist spot
Immortalized in 1820 by Washington Irving in The Legend of Sleepy Hollowthe town became synonymous with its ghost rider — the Headless Horseman — and helped shape American gothic fiction, says . It is now known as this to all fans of this festival.
But in fact his nickname, now official name, already has a lot of history. It has actually existed for more than a hundred years than Irving, having been created when in the 17th century, Dutch settlers called the village “Slaepers’ Haven” and “Slaepers’ Hol”.
The rebranding worked, and the town embraced the new identity. The Headless Horseman became the village’s unofficial mascot—and even the official symbol of the local high school.
However, its inhabitants warn, this little land famous for an ancient legend is not an amusement park, and that’s what makes Sleepy Hollow unique: it’s just an amusement park. small village, full of attractions and festivities. “This is not a tourist trap,” Julia MCue, owner of a bar in the village, tells the BBC. “We are just a village trying to entertain those who visit us.”
