Have a ghoulishly great time this Halloween

Date published: 19 October 2019

Enjoy Halloween in Rochdale Town Centre with the very best guide to when and where the spooky action will be taking place in 2019 – read on, if you dare...

This Halloween, Rochdale Town Centre will be taken over by an assortment of ghoulish celebrations, offering the perfect chance for little and big kids everywhere to get in on the spooky October action.

From ghosts and witches to devils and vampires, whether you will be dressing up in scary fancy dress, carefully carving pumpkins, watching a scary movie, or trick or treating in aid of the annual celebration, make sure you check out this guide to the spooky events taking place.

A scarily unique experience for absolutely everyone brave enough to get into the Halloween spirit. Come dressed as witches, ghouls, vampires, banshees and monsters from the other world for a truly unique festival experience.

 

 

Fancy Dress Mad pop-up shop at the Wheatsheaf Centre

• Monday 9 October until Saturday 2 November

Get ready for Halloween 2019 with help from the Halloween fancy dress experts Fancy Dress Mad. Have fun on the scariest night of the year and dress up in their fantastic selection of Halloween costumes for men, women and children.

Spooky pies in ‘ere at the Pioneers Museum

• Wednesday 23 October
• Admission £3 per child and can be booked by calling 01706 524 920 or email museum@co-op.ac.uk

Children will be making and filling sweet pies with suitably spooky toppings.

Creepy creature catchers at Touchstones

• Thursday 24 October – 10am until 11.30am, 12 noon until 1.30pm, 2pm until 3.30pm
• Admissions £4 per child, bookings made at link4Life.org

As the nights get darker and the evenings colder, the creepy creatures of Halloween are beginning to stir!

The question is, how many can you capture? Learn all about the magical creatures of Rochdale as you explore troll nests and search for goblins with your own goblin-seeking goggles and magic wand.

Oh, and who dares to enter the Enchanted Forest? Be careful though, you may turn into a creepy creature!

Sugar skull Halloween parade at Exchange Shopping Centre

• Friday 25 October
• Admission free

This Halloween, join us for a Halloween fun festival. The centre will be dressed with Halloween-themed props and a giant Halloween doodle skull for the children to decorate and colour in before making their own sugar skull keep-safe box.

But if that’s not enough, the centre will come alive with a Halloween parade of dancers, stilt walkers and skaters appearing every hour on the hour.

A sugar skull face painter will also be on hand.

 

 

Halloween fancy dress and karaoke party at the Cask & Feather

• Saturday 26 October from 8pm until late
• Admission free

Grab your pals and best costume to come and howl, sign or laugh at the annual Halloween karaoke party!

Family Halloween day at the Wheatsheaf Centre

• Saturday 26 October from 11am until 3pm
• Admission free

The Wheatsheaf will be running a family fun Halloween event which includes a visit from Ranger Rob, who will be bringing his spooky lizards and snakes, along with spooky edible bugs. Come along to taste one if you dare!

In addition there will be spooky story telling with Can O’ Worms, a pop-up spooky sweet shop from Candy Kabin, Halloween arts and crafts, pumpkin carving and face painting, a Trick & Treat Trail around the shops, with spooky prizes to be won.

Plus live performances from Footlights Theatre.

Spooky board game night at the Baum

• Thursday 31 October 6pm until late
• Admission free

Enjoy Halloween by popping into the Baum for a session of the best creepy board games for Halloween. Stay spooky, and come and play.

Haunt Manchester at Rochdale Town Hall

• Thursday 31 October, recommended for adults and children 12+
• Talks: 4pm – 6pm, admission free
• Tour: 6pm – 7pm, £7
• Booking available via Eventbrite

After school this Halloween, join Haunt Manchester – a group of spooky researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University – at the neo-Gothic masterpiece Rochdale Town Hall for an afternoon of talks, followed by a tour of the town hall itself.

Haunt Manchester are on hand to talk about ghosts, about why they scare and intrigue us in equal measures and about Rochdale’s own mysterious legends. Come along and join in, ask them questions, and share your spooky stories. And please, do wear fancy dress!

• Talk: www.eventbrite.com/e/haunt-manchester-at-rochdale-town-hall-tickets
• Tour: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rochdale-town-hall-tour-tickets

 

 

Colin Meredith’s Ghost Walk

• Toad Lane, Thursday 31 October at 8pm
• Admission £5 per person

Join the Rochdale Ghost Walk to learn more about the town’s ghostly hauntings and supernatural past as you take a stroll along the central streets and hidden corners.

Led by Colin Meredith, the walking tour passes many places of interest and attractions along the way. Those wishing to join in the fun should meet at the Baum at 8pm.

Booking is not required, although it is recommended that you arrive at least 5-10 minutes before the departure times. Special tours can be arranged in advance.

Halloween cult film night at the Pioneers Museum

• Thursday 31 October from 5.30pm until 8pm, strictly over 15's only
• Admission free, but reserve your seat by calling 01706 524 920 or email museum@co-op.ac.uk

Scare yourself silly by watching a classic collection of horror movies!

Day of the Dead at the Flying Horse

• Friday 1 November from 8pm until late
• Admission free

The Day of the Dead is coming to the Flying Horse for this year’s Halloween special. Get your spookiest costume out and prepare for a screamer of a night with music from Juan Direction who will be performing Mexican covers of popular American hits.

 

 

Spooky cocktails at the Medicine Tap

• Friday 1 and Saturday 2 November
• Admission free

Quench your deadly thirst with a selection of Halloween cocktails at the Medicine Tap.

Halloween fancy dress party at the Empire

• Saturday 2 November from 6pm until 4am
• Admission free

The town’s biggest Halloween fancy dress party is coming to the Empire! Get ready to scream your heart out to great music from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s with cash prizes to be awarded to the best three fancy dress costumes.

Spooky Halloween scarecrow competition

• 24 October until 4 November

As part of this year’s Halloween event, Rochdale BID has teamed up with primary schools to display a trail of spooky scarecrows, including: Elm Wood Primary School, Marland Hill Community Primary School, Norden Community School, St James C of E Primary School, and Kentmere Academy.

The scarecrows will be displayed in town centre shop windows between 24 October and 4 November:

• Exchange Shopping centre (opposite WHsmiths)
• Former Co-Op Travel shop at no. 13 Yorkshire Street (opposite Halifax bank)
• Former Perfect Homes shop at 51-53 Yorkshire Street (opposite Lloyds bank)
• Roasted and Toasted at 17 The Butts (adjoining to the Regal Moon)
• Halloween Pop Up shop in the Wheatsheaf Centre
• Former Forget Me Not charity shop in the Wheatsheaf Centre – this is located just around the corner from the Halloween pop up shop.
• BID Offices – Wheatsheaf Centre

The BID team will pick their favourite scarecrows and prizes will be presented to the winning school.

For further enquiries, contact the BID team on 01706 926677.

You can also view the Halloween guide at:

• issuu.com/rochdaletcm/docs/photo

 

 

Halloween festival in Rochdale 2019
©Rochdale BID