Hear the Legend told on Washington Irving’s own lawn.
Washington Irving is buried a few miles up the road. Every October, his most famous story comes back to the house where he spent his last twenty years — performed outdoors, after dark, on the grounds of Sunnyside.
Master storyteller Jonathan Kruk has been doing this for decades, and he doesn’t recite the tale so much as inhabit it. He plays all of them: the gangly, superstitious Ichabod Crane; the coquettish Katrina Van Tassel; swaggering Brom Bones. Jim Keyes supplies live organ music and sound effects, and a cast of shadowy figures moves at the edge of the lantern light. Then the hoofbeats start.
There’s no stage, no screen, and no jump-scare gimmickry — just Irving’s nineteenth-century prose, a good storyteller, and the sound of the Hudson somewhere below you in the dark. Fifty-five minutes later you’ll understand why this one sells out every single year.
Know before you go
- Where: Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, 3 W Sunnyside Lane, Irvington, NY 10533
- When: Fridays–Sundays, October 2–31, 2026. Most nights offer two or three performance times between 5 and 9 pm.
- Run time: About 55 minutes
- Tickets: From $40; Historic Hudson Valley members save 15%. Advance tickets only — nothing is sold at the gate, and dates sell out well before Halloween.
- Ages: Recommended for 10 and up. It’s family-friendly, but the period language, the length, and the low-light outdoor setting are a lot for younger kids.
- Terrain: Seated outdoor performance with some walking over uneven ground. Dress for a cold night by the river.
Tickets and full schedule: hudsonvalley.org or 914-366-6900
Presented by Historic Hudson Valley.
Hear the Legend told on Washington Irving’s own lawn.
Washington Irving is buried a few miles up the road. Every October, his most famous story comes back to the house where he spent his last twenty years — performed outdoors, after dark, on the grounds of Sunnyside.
Master storyteller Jonathan Kruk has been doing this for decades, and he doesn’t recite the tale so much as inhabit it. He plays all of them: the gangly, superstitious Ichabod Crane; the coquettish Katrina Van Tassel; swaggering Brom Bones. Jim Keyes supplies live organ music and sound effects, and a cast of shadowy figures moves at the edge of the lantern light. Then the hoofbeats start.
There’s no stage, no screen, and no jump-scare gimmickry — just Irving’s nineteenth-century prose, a good storyteller, and the sound of the Hudson somewhere below you in the dark. Fifty-five minutes later you’ll understand why this one sells out every single year.
Know before you go
- Where: Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, 3 W Sunnyside Lane, Irvington, NY 10533
- When: Fridays–Sundays, October 2–31. Most nights offer two or three performance times between 5 and 9 pm.
- Run time: About 55 minutes
- Tickets: From $40; Historic Hudson Valley members save 15%. Advance tickets only — nothing is sold at the gate, and dates sell out well before Halloween.
- Ages: Recommended for 10 and up. It’s family-friendly, but the period language, the length, and the low-light outdoor setting are a lot for younger kids.
- Terrain: Seated outdoor performance with some walking over uneven ground. Dress for a cold night by the river.
Tickets and full schedule: hudsonvalley.org or 914-366-6900
Presented by Historic Hudson Valley.