September 29, 2022
Spotlight Events and Fall Colors Shine in Putnam County
Kelsy Chauvin READ TIME: 5 MIN. SPONSORED
As a year-round destination just an hour north of New York City, Putnam County is calling all day-trippers and travelers ready for an easy rail or road getaway. And this fall, visits to the historic Hudson Valley county bring both radiant autumn colors and exclusive seasonal events.
Putnam County Tourism keeps a busy calendar for every season. Its October headline events are shining the spotlight on Carmel's Veterans Memorial Park on Gipsy Trail Road. Theater lovers of all ages can head to the park's Whipple-Feeley Chapel every weekend for "Hearts of the Hollow," a new musical interpretation of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."
For Halloween weekend, the two-day music and crafts festival Spellbound takes over the grounds with a punk-rock lineup and "mystic market."
Visitors heading to Putnam County can buy tickets to each event in advance or on site, and add more outdoor, dining, nightlife, arts, and history explorations to the upstate adventure. Discover more here, and read on for more about these upcoming events.
"Hearts of the Hollow" Musical
As Halloween nears, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" vibes awaken once again in the region where author Washington Irving set his iconic short story back in 1820. Only this year, writer Patricia White debuts her new musical that interprets the legend with new twists.
The two-act "Hearts of the Hollow" is told through Irving's familiar characters Ichabod Crane, Katrina Van Tassel, and Brom Bones, as well as several new characters – all performed by Broadway-caliber singer-actors. Through dialogue and 20 original songs, creator White injects new layers of action, romance, folly, and mystery that bring new life to the eerie tale.
"I think audiences will be surprised by the outstanding quality of this production," says White. "The costumes, the singing, the dancing, the lighting, the music, and the performances all come together, and the audience is in for a treat!"
Sleepy Hollow, New York native Mo Khoder composed the original music in collaboration with White. They worked closely with a German orchestrator who led the Prague Philharmonic in recording all 20 original "Hearts of the Hollow" songs prior to the production.
The musical takes the stage each weekend now through October 31 at the historic Whipple-Feeley Chapel at Veterans Memorial Park (201 Gipsy Trail Road, Carmel, NY). The family-friendly production is presented by White's own Global Wholesome Network, with showtimes Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $5 per person, and are sold through www.heartsofthehollow.com.
White adds, "We are happy to offer complimentary tickets for those who would like to see the show and cannot pay. Everyone is welcome." To connect, just direct-message the team through the "Hearts of the Hollow" Facebook and Instagram channels.
Spellbound Festival
Rocking the county over Halloween weekend (Oct. 29 and 30) is Spellbound, Putnam County's new-in-2022 "experiential" music festival. Led by a lineup of local, regional, and national alternative, punk, goth, and rock bands – including NYC's own Silent Fury, Shanghai Beach, Radiate, and other musicians – the two-day event is expected to draw about 5,000 attendees to Veterans Memorial Park.
The Halloween bash also features witchy wares of the Mystic Market, with nearly 50 crafters, artists, and other makers selling goods from candles, jewelry, and books, to spooky costumes and accessories.
Event producer Megara is orchestrating Spellbound, which is similar in spirit to Putnam County's Kingdom Faire held last May, and the upcoming holiday-season Yuletide Faire. While Spellbound is an all-ages event, younger children are invited for special kids' attractions from 3 to 6 p.m. both days.
Megara CEO Christopher Francia says that his team is excited to grow and share event spaces around the county. "Our goal is to eventually create a kind of entertainment destination in Putnam County, so we can establish permanent structures to house more experiential events," he says.
Francia adds that the company's mission includes creating welcoming spaces for LGBTQ+ performers, crew, and attendees.
"Our company has a big DEI initiative, that we – unlike other companies – actually act on. So we intentionally craft all of our festivals to be extremely inclusive, and to be a safe space," he says. "We specifically want to make sure everybody is welcome, especially those who are typically underrepresented in media. That includes the LGBTQ+ community. [Megara] is a supporter of Putnam Pride, which is a great organization. And [Spellbound] is going to be a place where everyone can feel welcome and comfortable."
Spellbound festival takes over Veterans Memorial Park grounds October 29 and 30, 3 to 10 p.m. (200 Gipsy Trail Road, Carmel, NY). Single-ticket general admission is $15, a two-day weekend pass is $25, and teen single tickets are $5 – plus advance-ticket online fees. Click here for tickets and more information.
Kelsy Chauvin is a writer, photographer and marketing consultant based in Brooklyn, New York. She specializes in travel, feature journalism, art, theater, architecture, construction and LGBTQ interests. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @kelsycc.
