Has it been 200 years since Rip Van Winkle first fell asleep?
It has.
Washington Irving penned his famous “Sketch Book” between 1819-1820. In it were his stories, including “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle,” in which a man falls asleep in the woods and wakes up 20 years later.
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” told the tale of the hapless school teacher Ichabod Crane, who vied for the hand of Katrina Van Tassel, only to be driven from Tarry Town by the Headless Horseman.
Irving’s home, Sunnyside, in Tarrytown, New York, is now part of Historic Hudson Valley, open for tours and events. The author is also buried in nearby Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
The Headless Horseman sculpture in Sleepy Hollow, New York. The village and surrounding communities will mark the 200th anniversary of Washington Irving's tale "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." (Photo: File photo Peter Carr/The Journal News)
The villages of Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Irvington, New York, and surrounding communities will launch a bicentennial celebration with a series of events throughout 2019-2020 to mark the anniversary, including The Sleepy Hollow Lit Fest, May 18, the Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival, Oct. 10-13, and more.
Sunnyside in Tarrytown, New York, is Washington Irving's home. (Photo: File photo / The Journal News)
Historic sites with a connection to Irving, including Sunnyside and The Old Dutch Church, will offers special events and Irving-related tours.
To find out more about the bicentennial celebration, go to http://headlesshorseman.org.
Halloween is big business in Sleepy Hollow, New York, where the Old Dutch Church and cemetery are the site of tours. (Photo: Jennifer Mitchell)
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