Spooky season is upon us and with it comes the return of the ever-popular Paisley Halloween Festival which comes back tonight with some exciting event changes to celebrate its 10-year anniversary – here’s everything you need to know.
This year’s festival will see the return of the much-loved parade as the centrepiece of the event on both nights. More than 300 professional performers and community groups will wind through the centre of the town tonight and tomorrow, each night starting at 7pm, including festival favourites Spark! LED Drummers and PyroCeltica.
The event, which is expected to bring thousands of people to Paisley town centre, will take place on Friday 25 October from 4pm – 9pm and Saturday 26 October from 2pm – 9pm.
There will be plenty of places to enjoy the spectacle with a new town centre route taking in Mill Street for the first time.
Another change to this year’s event will see the funfair relocated to the Lagoon Car Park and East End Park offering plenty of opportunities to entertain children and adults alike in the build up to the parade.
There will be plenty of daytime entertainment on offer in the lead up to the parade from 4pm on Friday and 2pm on Saturday. Visitors can expect live performances on the stage at Bridge Street and at the County Square.
Paisley Central Library on the High Street will be running Halloween arts and crafts sessions while The Art Department will have free spooky lantern making workshops. There will also be marshmallow pits and a selection of street food options available.
Paisley will be geared up to host the Halloween fun with surprise installations dotted all around town to help create that spooky atmosphere. Look out for the Flaming Gargoyle, the Ghost Ship, Giant Witch and bubbling cauldron to name a few. There will also be eerie lighting displays on some of the town’s most well-known buildings.
The event is free to attend with lots of great spots across the town centre to view the parade but a new addition this year is the introduction of ticketed grandstand seats offering a fantastic view of the parade on Cotton Street in the town centre.
There are still a small number of tickets available on both nights priced at £15 per person on £54 for a group of 4. You can purchase tickets from www.paisley.is.
In addition to the programme of activity taking place across the town centre local businesses and partners in Paisley are also putting on Halloween-inspired activities for visitors.
Paisley is also home to a great selection of cafes, restaurants and shops – help support local businesses by spending local at this year’s Festival if you can.
Pauline Allan, events manager at Renfrewshire Council, said: “We know how much people love Paisley Halloween Festival. To celebrate our milestone 10th anniversary we thought it would be a great opportunity to bring back the Halloween parade which was always such a favourite with visitors to the event. We also want to give more people the chance to enjoy the parade which is why we’ve expanded the route onto Mill Street for the very first time.
“Paisley Halloween Festival is one of our most highly anticipated events and I’m sure the exciting changes we’ve made to this year’s programme will give more people the chance to join in the fun.”
The event is delivered by Renfrewshire Council in partnership with performance specialists Cirque Bijou, lighting design by Grant Anderson and supported by EventScotland as part of their National Events Funding Programme.
Rebecca Edser, Head of EventScotland, said: “We are proud to support the award-winning Paisley Halloween Festival. The festival is a fantastic celebration of all things Halloween and the new event changes are set to create a further buzz to what is already a hugely popular festival. Events play an important role in our communities by offering locals and visitors alike the chance to connect, enjoy and share memorable experiences, while also driving wider social, cultural and economic benefits.”