A family-friendly romp round some spooky sights in the city centre, Manchester's Halloween Trail provides gentle scares for the little ones (and for the feint of heart).
This year, Trafford City centre is taking up hosting duties of the Halloween Trail, a spiritual sequel to the Twilight Trail which launched at Depot Mayfield last year by the same organisers. Their new show promises even more lights, even more sights, and a few more scares for all the family to enjoy.
With the aim to ‘captivate visitors of all ages this spooky season’, the new Halloween Trail will feature over 100,000 lights and numerous immersive features, employing a skeleton theme throughout the trail.
While not necessarily creating a powerful sense of dread, their take on a tunnel of light known as The Twist, sees a entrancing spiral of intersecting straight lights that form mesmerising curves in a cacophony of light and colour. Followed by a skeleton funfair, with all the usual fairground games for kids to enjoy, the adults can take a brief sojourn to Ye Old Skeleton Arms, a traditional pub with a delightful eeriness.
Test the limits of your fear in the haunted abandoned hotel, but otherwise, the Halloween Trail is a laid-back, family-friendly spooky experience to be enjoyed by mostly kids and the faith of heart. Especially considering if the alternative is Scare City, this may just be the wiser option for the frightly among us.
Running from the 17th of October til the 3rd of November, the Trail prices children's tickets at £8 and adults for £10.