Dress up, dress down, stay put
Westchester County is gearing up for another year of sporting events, conventions, special celebrations, and other tourist draws expected to cheer fans hearts and fill county coffers.
No single event in 2008 will be as big as last year”™s Empire State Games, which drew approximately 20,000 athletes, spectators, referees and officials.
However, the county still has many events scheduled to bring in the tourists and their dollars, said Westchester County Tourism Director Kim Sinistore.
One such event, staying with the sporting theme, is the Barclay”™s Classic, to be held Aug. 18-24 at the Westchester Country Club. The tournament has been held annually in Westchester since 1967, originally called the Westchester Classic.
The Tournament will lead off the PGA tour”™s new playoff system, called the Fed Ex Cup. Last year”™s winner was American Steve Stricker.
For the gourmands among us, the second annual Hudson Valley Restaurant Week will take place in March.
The event takes place not only in Westchester, but throughout all Hudson Valley counties and features restaurant specials and promotions.
The event is a collaborative effort intended to show off the dining the Hudson Valley has to offer and other attractions as well, said Sinistore.
“People can turn it into an overnight, or a weekend stay, and sample the whole valley,” she said, noting the area also features many historical sites and quaint bed-and-breakfasts.
For the arts and crafts lovers, Westchester County will be conducting its first ever “all fired up” event, which is a celebration of clay art.
The event is being sponsored by the Westchester Arts Council and runs from Oct. 2 to Nov. 30.
Around 50 venues will have exhibits “exploring the ceramic expression” said Sinistore, and will also feature master classes and symposiums for those inclined to create their own art
“The exhibits will range from folk art to fine art,” said Sinistore.
And of course, one of Westchester”™s most venerable tourist draws will again occur this October, the Great Jack O”™ Lantern Blaze among the hills of Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton.
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is a Halloween spectacle, which this year will integrate more than 4,000 hand-carved pumpkins, lit up throughout the landscape of historic Van Cortlandt Manor.
Sinistore said more than 30,000 tickets have been sold for this event.
“If you”™ve never seen it, it”™s really cool,” she said.
The county also has several music festivals during the year, including the world-renowned Caramoor International Music Festival, and eight-week program which takes place at the Caramoor historical site in Katonah.
For a complete list of events throughout the year, visit www.westchestertourism.com.