On September 12, 13, 19 and 20, Buckley Homestead County Park hosted a Sleepy Hollow event for all in the area to attend. Buckley Homestead transformed its property into the village of Sleepy Hollow to show and reenact the tale of Sleepy Hollow. The event is not your average show. This production uses costumes and property such as old housing and a barn to bring viewers into the town of Sleepy Hollow. 

The tale of Sleepy Hollow is set in the year 1790 in a village called Sleepy Hollow. The story follows a schoolmaster named Ichabod Crane and his love for a woman named Katrina Van Tassel. While being in love with her, another man named Brom Bones is also fighting for her attention. One night, Ichabod is invited to a harvest party, and Brom Bones tells them a story about a headless horseman who is buried in a churchyard in their village and rises every night to try and find his missing head. Ichabod, scared, leaves the party and, as he leaves, encounters a cloaked figure whom he then believes is the headless horseman. The next morning, only Ichabod’s horse is found, and he is never to be seen again. 

To bring the show to life, live actors volunteer to show the spooky story to the audience’s eyes. These actors dress up from the time period and act as if they are in the village of Sleepy Hollow. “I enjoyed the overall environment of Buckley’s Homestead, and I really enjoyed the wonderful cast that I got to work with,” junior Emily Nelson said.  “I had a fantastic experience and will definitely do it next year.”

The actors within the Sleepy Hollow event work together to pull the audience back into the past. “Working at this show was something I never expected myself to do,” junior Brooklyn Gargano said. “It was a little out of my comfort zone because I had to act in front of people, but the other actors were so kind to be around. I got to do this activity with one of my best friends, and she and I bonded with the other kids we were with. Overall, this was a very fun experience with a cute story. I would love to do this again next year.”

Viewers watching this show get to be a part of the show within different scenes of the story. “I loved the show,” junior Jaida Frye said. “It was such a wonderful time. Being able to do a broom dance and see the headless horseman was like a dream. I would love to do it again.”

The Buckley Homestead County Park’s Sleepy Hollow gives the audience a visual and a sense of storytelling throughout the entire reenactment. From the moment you hear the town gossip while doing a broom dance to walking down a dimly lit trail looking for Ichabod, this experience immerses viewers into the story even if they have never heard of it before.