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ARE you ready for some spooky fun this Hallowe’en half term? There is so much to do across West Lancashire and Southport, including a real-life trick or treat street, a day of the dead festival, a magical maze, Hallowe’en parties, a scarecrow trail, and even Southport’s first spooky movie festival.
Here are some of the great things happening locally that you can enjoy:
Day of the Dead Festival
Southport Pleasureland’s Day of the Dead is a fun, family-friendly event that is high-energy, colourful and vibrant.
It takes its inspiration from Mexican celebration Día de los Muertos.
With fireworks, fire-spinners and fire-eaters, stilt-walkers, drummers, music, dance DJ, colourfully lit rides for everyone from little ones to older thrill-seekers, street food and bars, it’s the experience to bring some hot Latin fever to the town on Saturday, November 2.
Pleasureland is taking its inspiration from the towns and cities throughout Mexico, where revellers go all-out with skull-themed makeup and hit the dressing-up box for weird and wonderful costumes, hold parades and parties, sing and dance, and drum up irresistible dance beats.
Children under 3ft (90cm) tall enter free and all rides on the night are £1.50 each. The gates open at 5pm. Visit www.southportpleasureland. com
Trick Or Treat Street
Southport BID will bring a purposebuilt, hyper-real American Street dressed with pumpkins to Southport town centre.
Visitors and families will be able to cross picket fenced lawns to knock on life size doors and windows.
Behind each, a character will be lying in wait to either offer up a treat or to trick Hallowe’en loving visitors.
This is the fifth year for the BID’s annual Halloween Festival, Spooky Southport, all funded by local businesses.
The four-day festival will see a few extra pop-up surprises along the way with great events and offers put on by businesses throughout Southport town centre.
Southport BID event co-ordinator Sarah Rodriguez said: “The haunted street is something we have never done before and we are working with a great team to deliver it.
“It will be a huge and exciting installation, with professional actors providing brilliant treats and frights, that will appeal to all ages and families.”
The event runs from Saturday, October 26 until Tuesday, October 29.
The street is free to visit and suitable for all ages (with under eights at parents discretion).
Farmaggedon
Tickets are currently on sale for adults-only horrorfest Farmaggedon.
The annual scare attraction is returning to Farmer Ted’s Adventure Farm, in Downholland, this October – and it looks as scary as ever.
It returns with four highly-anticipated attractions including Meat Locker, Zombie Outlaw, Contagion and The Beast of Terror, which is back for its second year.
Also among the attractions are Freak Street the interactive monster experience, the beastly House of Rock.
As the UK’s first 3D scare attraction, those brave enough to visit can expect strobe lights and mind tricks designed to give you a surprise – and that’s before the terrifying characters emerge.
From zombies and ghouls to clowns and other freakish creatures, there’ll be something for everyone to be scared of at the festival.
Farmaggedon returns on selected dates until November 1.
Tickets from £18.50 per person and available now via farmaggedon.co.uk
Hallowe’en At Ocean Plaza
Sandgrounder Radio is hosting two parties at Chiquitos, Ocean Plaza,
Southport, on Thursday, October 31, 11am-4pm.
Tickets are £6.50 per child including Chiquito’s food, drink, McDonald’s ice cream, entertainment and goodies.
At 11.30am-1pm enjoy Jack in the box party crew’s Sanderson Witches.
At 1.30-3pm see with Dancebeatz with Tricky’s party entertainers providing some prizes.
They have some other fangtastic prizes up for grabs as well so fancy dress is encouraged.
Tickets are limited and are on sale via Sandgrounder Radio’s website sandgrounderradio.co.uk
There will also be a free children’s Trick or Treat Trail 11am-4pm all around Ocean Plaza. Find the cauldrons inside the stores and collect a trick or treat from one of the local businesses.
Plus The Dance Place 2 and The So Talented Academy of Theatre Arts will be performing throughout the day with Melissa from Funky Faces facepainting spooking up their faces.
Talons Birds of Prey will be on display, there is a small fee if you want to hold a bird and take a photo.
Hallowe’en Movie Festival
Southport’s new independent cinema will launch in the town centre this month with a two-week long Spookport Film Festival.
A huge redevelopment has seen the former Latin Lounge restaurant on Post Office Avenue transformed into a 70-seater venue, including a cafe, bar and lounge area upstairs.
The Bijou Cinema opened for the first time on Saturday with a showing of cult favourite Rocky Horror Picture Show kicking off a packed film festival which is running as part of Southport BID’s Spookport festivities.
Among the wide range of adults and kids’ offerings, the film festival will include the likes of horror classics Frankenstein, Dracula, Night of the Living Dead, and Day of the Dead, as well as more recent favourites Shaun of the Dead, Labyrinth and Edward Scissorhands.
For children and families, the lineup includes The Goonies, Nightmare Before Christmas, Coco and more.
The non-profit cinema was the brainchild of film-lover Michael Lockwood – managed by award-winning film-maker and Edge Hill University graduate Andy Harrison.
Tickets are available at southportbijoucinema.co.uk/#booking.
Frightening Good Family Hallowe’en Fun at Farmer Ted’s
Enjoy Halloweek at Farmer Ted’s in
Downholland. Watch their Hallowe’en spooktacular spectacular magician in Farmer Ted’s Wonderful Wizard Show.
Meet Wendy the Witch and her meddling apprentice Wallace who will be performing around the farm all day.
Will you go through our magical maze and find all ten ingredients their forgetful wizard needs? Find all the ingredients and complete the spell, and you will enter their Spellbound Halloweek Prize Draw. Five lucky winners will each receive a free Farmer Ted’s Family Day Pass.
And free ponies rides for your little monsters.
Plus all your Farmer Ted’s Halloweek favourites including pumpkin carving, face painting, Farmer Ted’s fancy dress competitions and all the fun of the farm.
The Hallowe’en Festival is available October 28-November 1 10am–6pm.
For more details visit: hwww. farmerteds.com or call: 0151 526 0002.
Scarecrow Festival at Rufford Old Hall gardens
This October half term, the gardens and woodlands at Rufford Old Hall will be taken over by a host of colourful characters as its annual Scarecrow