Strolling through University Square, you may already have noticed the yellowing leaves, the low golden sun in the late afternoon and a cooler edge to the air. With Autumn well and truly on its way, Hallowe’en is only around the corner.

Hallowe’en celebrations originate from nature-worshipping Pagan traditions, marking the end of harvest and the beginning of the darker half of the year. Many of today’s traditions, including mask wearing and lantern carving, were borne of rituals observed during the Gaelic festival of Samhain, so it’s no surprise the Emerald Isle knows how to enjoy spooky season.

 1. Pumpkin Days – Laganvale Farm

For Hallowe’en fun that doesn’t involve alcohol and best of all includes a take home treat of your own personalised Jack-o’-lantern, look no further than Laganvale Farm’s Pumpkin Days. The pumpkin patch is nestled among beautiful rolling hills, and on a crisp and sunny Autumn day the opportunity for an Insta-worthy pic is too good to pass up. Wander the field, select a pumpkin, draw your own ghoulish design, and leave the hard part to the professional carvers. Beyond this there’s a whole host of ghostly activities on offer including the maize maze, terrible tale-telling, as well as visiting the farm’s usual occupants…

Open for afternoon visits 18^th-31^st October, with prices starting at £10 per adult ticket, this family-owned farm is situated in Lambeg, just 1.5 miles from Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park.

https://www.laganvalefarm.com/events

2. Fright Night Horror Tour - The Ghost Ship at The Belfast Barge

If jump scares are your thing, this “haunted house” experience promises eerie encounters and spooktacular special effects in a Laganside barge setting. The cursed crew aim to scare those brave enough to shirk their sailor superstitions and climb aboard, with willing participants encouraged to come along in costume, making this an immersive group experience. Part of Belfast’s rich maritime history, the barge is open year-round as a museum, performance space and cultural hub.

This event is one night only on Hallowe’en itself, tickets at £9.05 are selling fast so be sure to book promptly.

https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Belfast/The-Belfast-Barge/Belfast-Ghost-Ship/36491441/?hasNewTicketBox=1

Belfast loves its nightlife, so with more quirky bars than you can shake a broomstick at, All Hallow’s Eve will boast plenty of gruesome offerings…

3. Hocus Pocus Movie and Main - Cabaret Supper Club at AMPM

On 24^th October for £32.50, you can enjoy a special screening of the 1993 classic Hocus Pocus which follows a villainous comedic coven, alongside all-singing, all-dancing devilish debauchery and Drag as you dine. AMPM is renowned for its Cabaret Supper Club, so whilst this event is less budget-friendly, ticket price includes food and entertainment, meaning you’ll be well fed with ghoulish grown-up fun guaranteed.

https://cabaretbelfast.com/event/hocus-pocus-movie-night-main-course-show-32-50/

4. Emo Nite at Voodoo

For nineties kids and millennials, the aptly named Voodoo with its ‘This is Halloween! Emo Nite’ serves up a nostalgic reminder of angsty teenage days. Promising devastating guitar riffs and head-banging anthems, expect cult classics by My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy and more at £6.54 a ticket. So don your fingerless gloves and sweep that fringe to the side, because it so definitely was not a phase, mom.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/this-is-halloween-emo-nite-at-voodoo-belfast-311023-tickets-709380304587

5. Autumnal Outings that Don’t Cost a Penny

There is festive fun to be had at this beautiful time of year, just by stepping outside and enjoying nature’s harvest season.

Without leaving the city bounds, the Botanic Gardens offers a bountiful array of deciduous trees to admire as the leaves change colour, almost before your eyes. Enjoy the residual warmth inside the Palm House as the outside temperatures begin to drop. 

Venture further afield to one of the many forests in Belfast’s surrounding areas, many of which are well connected to the city centre by bus and train. Belvoir Forest is host to a whole range of native species of flora and fauna and is unique as a working forest within a suburban setting. Fancy yourself as an amateur mycologist? Try to identify the different types of fungi sprouting in the fecund woodlands (do not touch or ingest any fungi species, and leave all vegetation in its natural environment to allow the forest to thrive).

There will be more freaky fun to be had around campus, so keep your eyeballs peeled for QFT horror movie marathons, spooky sports and socials, and more over the coming weeks.

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