Philipsburg Manor Presents Pirates of the Hudson: The Siege of Sleepy Hollow

Rollicking bands of pirates will be swashbuckling through Sleepy Hollow at Philipsburg Manor's brand-new July Fourth weekend festival, "Pirates of the Hudson: The Siege of Sleepy Hollow."

This family friendly event produced by Historic Hudson Valley takes place Saturday through Monday, July 2-4, from 3-8pm, and will feature a mother lode of activity including live pirate music courtesy of the Crimson Pirates and the Brigands, gypsy sword dancers and other entertaining scallywags, games for kids and adults, roaming pirates interacting with visitors, and a museum of oddities with sea mysteries including a 'real-life' captured mermaid. Visitors can go on a multi-sensory voyage to the bottom of the sea in Davy Jones' Locker.

Kids can take part in the Pieces of Eight treasure hunt, wiggle their way through a huge pirate shipwreck, and learn to speak, act, and mix it up like a pirate. They can also get a temporary tattoo from a professional artist.

Those brave enough to commit to a pirate's life begin their training by "going on the account" and pledging to live forever more as a pirate. Once "branded" a pirate, recruits get to practice proper pirate behavior and speech. A blacksmith will handcraft tools of the pirate trade like grappling hooks and boarding axes while a cooper will apply his woodworking skills to produce custom-made peg legs!

Produced by the same team that created the haunted October blockbuster Horseman's Hollow, Pirates of the Hudson showcases the merchant history of Philipsburg Manor - originally the seat of a 52,000-acre commercial empire - through the lens of a hearty pirate festival.

"As merchants heavily involved in the trans-Atlantic trade, the Philipse family had extensive dealings with pirates and privateers," said Thom Thacker, site director of Philipsburg Manor. "This event is a fun way to celebrate that history and make those connections for visitors in a festival atmosphere."

Draft brews from event sponsor Captain Lawrence Brewing Company of Pleasantville will be available, as well as a multitude of pirate-themed culinary creations from Tastefully Yours of Briarcliff Manor.

The Thieves Market gives visitors the opportunity to bag exclusive Pirates of the Hudson booty including t-shirts, mugs, place mats, postcards, and magnets, as well as classic pirate accessories such as eye patches, hooks, masks, and bandannas.

Kraken Alley will feature artists working in various media to illustrate the mythological sea beast which gives the alley its name.

Event admission is by advance timed ticket and all experiences are continuous throughout the afternoon. Tickets are available on the hour beginning at 3 p.m., July 2-4. The last admission is at 6 p.m. Ticket prices are $16 for adults and $12 for children under 18. Members of Historic Hudson Valley receive a $5 discount per ticket. Pirates of the Hudson is held rain or shine. Proceeds benefit Historic Hudson Valley, the Tarrytown-based non-profit educational organization which owns and operates Philipsburg Manor.

Philipsburg Manor is at 381 North Broadway (Route 9) in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. For information and tickets: 914-631-8200, www.hudsonvalley.org.