Events
Things to do in October Half-Term & This Halloween
Japan: Myths to Manga
Take an exciting and atmospheric trip through Japan. This new exhibition at the newly reopened and rebranded Young V&A pulls together centuries of Japanese pop culture – and explores how landscape and folklore have influenced Japanese art, technology and design.
It’s divided into four themed areas: Sky, Sea, Forest and City.
Halloween Pumpkin Patch
Visit Cammas Hall pumpkin patch, with a choice of more than 60 varieties of pumpkin and squash. Meet (super friendly) Halloween characters. Venture down the Wicked Walkway and/or Terror Tunnel to see what surprises await. Fabulous photo opportunities with the chance to capture some fantastic Halloween memories. 20% discount on entry to the Halloween themed Maize Maze.
Tickets to be purchased on arrival – no pre-booking available. You will also be able to access their other onsite facilities including the play area, farm shop, Halloween crafts and catering facilities.
Date(s) – Saturday 30 September 2023 – Sunday 29 October 2023
All Day
Big Fish Little Fish VAUXHALL Halloween Mega Family Rave DJ Terry Francis
A MEGA FAMILY RAVE with BFLF in the astonishing venue in Vauxhall. An incredible under-the-railway-arches, multi room club with one dancefloor surrounded by an LED light ceiling and state of the art sound system. Accessed via a covered outdoor area that is the perfect break out space – it is a perfect place for a family rave – also creepily atmospheric for Halloween!
Dance together on a dance floor filled with bubbles, balloons, glitter and topped by the parachute dance in this amazing under the arches venue!
Get creepily crafty on the Nifty Natty Craft tables and enjoy the Villa Pia baby chill out or play areas.
Halloween at Hampton Court Palace
Discover the magic behind Henry VIII’s haunted palace. This October half term, lose yourself in atmospheric projections and creepy sound effects as the palace is transformed by magical spells.
As you tiptoe through the dark winding corridors and courtyards, you’ll feel the chilling presence of our infamous ghosts hiding around every corner. Some may even be closer than you expect, but keep your distance – these ghosts are best kept to the past.
Visit the ‘Gallery of the Damned’ to see eerie portraits come to life, or stop by the ‘Council Chamber’ to take part in a séance. Head outside to the Haunted Garden to spot carved pumpkins and after all that exploring, cosy down to hear some spooky stories and then relax with a Halloween-themed treat from the café.
Hallowe’en at Harry Potter Studios London
Back by popular demand, Dark Arts returns to the Studio Tour in 2023. Step into the iconic sets from the Harry Potter film series in a spookier setting as they dim the lights and set the stage especially for Hallowe’en. Here’s a taster of what you can expect to see during your visit…
Experience Hallowe’en as if you were a Hogwarts student, by stepping into the Great Hall with over 100 pumpkins floating above a spooky feast, as seen in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. During filming, the Propmaking Team carved the pumpkins each to have their own unique design.
The symbol of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters will be projected throughout the Studio Tour for you to discover during your visit. Remember to collect your Studio Tour passport upon arrival to join the hunt for the Dark Mark.
ook out for the Death Eaters’ procession through the Studio Tour in a menacing display, showcasing the authentic costumes seen on-screen. Get ready to learn wand combat moves in an interactive display with Paul Harris before joining forces to practise your spells on Death Eaters. Paul was the Wand Choreographer from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 and describes the importance of wand combat as a ‘physical element to casting a spell, because otherwise what makes one wizard better than another?’
Royal Parks Discovery Day: Hair-Raising Halloween at Hyde Park
Join Royal Parks this half-term at their spook-tacular Nature Roadshows and Discovery Days across the Royal Parks. Take part in a host of free Halloween themed activities, from bug hunting and learning about bats to Halloween crafts and spooky storytelling, there is something for everyone.
Halloween at the Tower of London
Unlock the spirits of the Tower’s past
This October half term, keep your wits about you and your sense on alert. With a thousand years of history housed within the Tower’s walls, can you find spirits of the past this Halloween?
As you make your way through the Tower, you might find a wisp of white sweeping by you on the stairs, or the trail of a Tudor gown swishing past a doorway, and spooky sounds ringing through the air.
Catch sight of a medieval queen upon a crooked throne, spot a Roman soldier near the remnants of the London Wall, or glimpse the Wizard Earl concocting potions in his apothecary.
A ruined garden in the shadow of the White Tower hints at a lost palace that once stood there. Now with its gnarly roots, decaying walls and barred windows, it contains spirits waiting to be stirred.
This is a family-friendly adventure designed to spook, but not to terrify. Pick up a trail when you arrive and keep track of the ghosts that you spot on your visit.
And remember, you may see them, but they will not see you…
Halloween Spooktacular at Paultons Park
This October Half term bring the family to the friendliest and most frightful Halloween event in the UK at Paultons Park. They are back for another year with even more spooky fun to be had! Tornado Springs will have a ghostly makeover and Peppa Pig fans will delight in seeing Peppa Pig World transformed for the occasion.
Paultons Park’s exclusive show, The Legend of Paultons Manor, will make a grand return this year. The show includes singing, laughter and dancing.
There will be Ghoulish fun – meet Pickles the Pumpkin and the rest of the spirit squad characters!
Additionally, the Park will be festooned with thousands of pumpkins and straw hay bales, transporting families into the fang-tastic season.
Rides in the dark! Late night opening until 7.30pm on 24th, 25th & 26th October 2023.
Funland Hayling Island Fright Night Fireworks
Funland Hayling Island have 3 nights of mischievous merriment in sore this year. This Halloween at Funland, they’ve doubled up on gore!!!
A Pumpkin patch for the little ones to carve a face or two.
All the fear of the fair where the clowns entertain you.
Then there’s an old asylum and the spirits roam at night waiting in the shadows to give you a fright.
But last but not least there’s regen labs… and eternal youth. At least that’s what their patients thought…. If you only knew the truth.
So come along to Funland for a night of fear and dread but watch out because you never know where you might lose your head!!!!
End the night with a bang with our best Firework display yet.
Throughout the night Funland will be giving away sweets and treats for the children as well as 3 prizes to be awarded for the best fancy dress outfits.
Admission from 4.30pm event time 5pm-9pm
Cadbury World Freddo’s Spooktacular Stage Show
Families can experience a stage show, choc-full of tricks and treats this Halloween.
In the spookiest live stage show in town, be entertained by Freddo the Frog in his frightful Spooktacular. Expect ghoulish games, spooky songs and some devilish dancing. This ‘Fangtastic’ Family Fun Show is not to be missed.
Ghouls old and young are encouraged to dress to impress for the daily fancy dress competition, where judges will be handing out prizes to the most haunting visitors.
Plus, visitors of all ages will also have the chance to meet and greet the iconic Cadbury Characters throughout the day.
Don’t forget, if you select an entry time to the tour of 2:30pm or later, you can arrive 1.5 hours before to enjoy the family shows and outdoor entertainment first.
Running from 21st October – 5th November 2023
Halloween Hoots at Edinburgh Zoo
Dare to enter the zoo after the gates are closed? Join Edinburgh Zoo this October for a Halloween inspired animal antics show followed by an eerie tour to several of our enclosures at dusk!
Meeting at the members gate, you’ll head up to the ZOOpernatural animal antics arena to experience the thrill of swooping birds, learn about the behaviours of mystical residents and even have the chance to get involved yourself!
With a quick toasting marshmallow pit stop, the rangers will then guide you through the zoo to meet weird and wonderful creep-uscular creatures and sharing plenty of chilling facts along the way.
Running from 27 – 31st October
Warwick Castle – The Haunted Castle
The castle’s spookiest residents invite you to join them for half-term Halloween fun at The Haunted Castle. Enjoy mysterious mazes, eerie entertainment, and frightful delights for the whole family as over a thousand years of haunted history come to life this October half-term.
Back with a new theme for 2023, the Dead Centre stage is where you’re always sure to find frightful fun and games for all the family. Prepare to sing and dance along with a host of colourful characters in a series of fun and interactive family shows throughout the day, including spooky stories, quizzes, games and a Halloween disco!
Spooky Schools – These aren’t just any schools… learn how to slay giants, about the castle’s hilarious Halloween health and safety rules, and not to judge a book by its cover in a spooky storytime. Warning parents: mischief is encouraged!
NEW for 2023, the wicked Witches of Warwick are returning in all-singing, all-dancing live show spooktacular. Join this coven of spooky sisters for a fun-packed show full of comical cackles and mischievous magic! With plenty of frightful delights, the mischievous witches are sure to thrill the whole family.
Alton Towers Scarefest
Spooktacular fun, spine-tingling scare mazes and rides in the dark!
As the nights get longer, Scarefest beckons. On October’s spookiest dates, tiptoe into Alton Towers Resort for all sorts of creepy scares and shocks as its award-winning Scarefest returns for 2023 with live entertainment for all ages and our award-winning spooktacular scare experiences for the bravest of souls. Open until 9pm each day daring guests can face our head-spinning, hair-raising rides and attractions in darkness including Wicker Man and The Smiler!
Terrifying Scare Attractions
Mad enough for our multi-award-winning terrifying scare attractions? Horrifying creatures beckon within them – can you escape?
Spooktacular Family Fun
Ready to get spook-alicious? Join our five super-freaky Halloween characters in their mind-blowingly multi-coloured playground as part of the event’s family friendly frights line-up of live entertainment.
The Curse at Alton Manor
New for 2023! A haunting dark ride, taking you on a hair-raising journey of spectacular twists and turns within the cursed Manor.
The Alton Towers Dungeon
As Scarefest descends on the Towers, enter The Alton Towers Dungeon for a little less laughing… and a lot more SCREAMING!
Running on 31st October 2023
Things to do – Clay mud baths in the river
Your small wellness centre in the great outdoors: clay mud baths in the river in Umbria.
The guide will take you to an unexplored, almost secret place along the banks of the river Paglia. The meeting point will be in Monterubiaglio, a picturesque village in southern Umbria near Orvieto, from where you will be taken to the departure point of your experience of clay mud baths in the river. After parking, you will walk for about 15 minutes in the woods to reach this fantastic location, where there is a small bend in the river Paglia. You will be completely surrounded and immersed in nature and you’ll notice that, both inside and outside the river, there are small gushing springs of sulphurous water, which make the temperature very pleasurable.
The boulders on the banks of the river are flat and form small pools at certain points where you can enjoy a natural hydromassage. In these rocks you will extract the clay, the guide will accompany you and teach you its beneficial properties, showing you how to apply it over your body, creating your own natural wellness therapy.
The Mud Bath therapy area is located in the nature reserve of monte Rufeno.
things to do – Chocolate from Norcia. Tour and workshop 25€
A unique experience featuring the king of confectionery, plus a chocolate workshop.
One of the oldest and most deeply rooted culinary traditions in the Umbria region is certainly the processing of chocolate. The specialities of the region are famous throughout Italy and beyond.
You will tour a small artisan chocolate company led by the staff and learn about the production chain and processing techniques. You will actually see the artisans at work and have hands-on contact with the chocolate mass yourself. The master chocolatier will guide you in exploring and understanding the cocoa bean: from selection to processing and transformation into chocolate, along with all the various scents and aromas. The chocolate workshop will enable you to create your own chocolate bar with your own hands, using the combinations you like best.
At the end of the tour and workshop, you will be presented with a basket for a delicious ‘choc-nic’, a small chocolate picnic. An all-round experience in a world of discovery, suitable for all ages.
The company is family-run and, with its passionate love for chocolate, engages in constant research into the processing and combination of chocolate with the most typical local products, such as truffles, lentils, spelt, and roveja field peas.
Antiche Sere – Bevegna
Located beneath the Porta di Canara, at the East end of town. The Antiche Sere is a delightful place. It is small, unassuming and intimate.
To start: opt for a simple plate of sardines topped with red onions, parsley, lemon and a drizzle of olive oil, next try the panzanella: chopped tomatoes tossed with a sliced onion and a handful of torn bread. The freshly made fettucine with shavings of truffles is divine and what better way to end than with a Tiramisu.
You can find the restaurant here.
Antiche Sere
Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi 10
Bevagna +39.0742.361.938
Casa Vissani – Baschi
Casa Vissani is no ordinary restaurant. Half-hidden along the main road and not immediately obvious if you’ve never been here before, this restaurant on Lago di Corbara is home to one of Italy’s best-known chefs. For almost fifty years, Gianfranco Vissani has been – and continues to be – one of the country’s most innovative chefs. Those lucky enough to get a reservation at chef Gianfranco Vissani’s acclaimed restaurant will dine on some of the most sumptuous and creative dishes made with the very finest locally-sourced ingredients. These are paired with the finest wines from an ever-evolving list. The dining room is comfortable and tasteful, and the service is impeccable. The taster menus are a delightful way to savour some of the chef’s very best work and to get an insight into the culinary pleasures of the region.
After arriving at the restaurant and being greeted by the chef’s son Luca, you can spend time in the lakeside garden before heading into the elegant dining room. This outdoor space is where guests can enjoy an aperitif and make their culinary choices, while the indoor dining room is the setting for elegant and impeccable service with open-view kitchens that are framed as if they were paintings.
The tasting menus (Colori di Casa Vissani ) are named after colours: Gold (Oro) is traditional in style; Blue (Blu) is dedicated to fresh- and saltwater fish; Red (Rosso) to meat; and Green (Verde) to vegetables. Lastly, 7Black is a surprise menu chosen by the chef.
Osteria a Priori – Perugia
Located in the very central Via dei Priori in Perugia. Its path is dotted with churches, noble palaces and little artisanal shops.
You can choose to sit in the informal atmosphere of the ground floor, stools with cushions or in the cozy upper floor at one of the eight regular tables or at the large “convivial table”.
In the summer you can opt to sit in the outdoor space, within the historic walls, next to the Church of San Filippo Neri.
The menu is created with raw ingredients that are sourced from carefully selected small producers, with particular attention to the Slow Food Presidia of the region. Lentils from Castelluccio, red potatoes from Colfiorito, onions from Cannara, black celery from Trevi, broad beans, fagiolina from Lake Trasimeno, extra virgin olive oil, fresh black truffle from Norcia, Chianina beef and wild pork, cold cuts, sheep and goat cheeses.
From seasonal truffle dishes to silky pastas discover the region’s culinary delights.
Black and white truffles. Most people don’t realize that Umbria is known for white truffles as well as the summer and winter black truffles. In fact the largest white truffle in the world was found a few years ago in Umbria—it weighed 4.16 pounds and sold for $61,250!
Salumi. Anyone in Italy who makes cured meats is known as a Norcino, because it was in Norcia, in Umbria, where the art of salumi making was perfected. So, of course, the prosciutto, capocollo, salami, salsiccia, guanciale and pancetta from Umbria are the best!
Lentils. You haven’t had lentils until you have tried the tiny brown Umbrian lentils. They are meaty and never get mushy when cooked so are perfect for both soups and salads.
Pecorino Umbro. Umbria’s hilly, wild-herb covered landscape is perfect for sheep…. and thus, pecorino cheese. From fresh to cave-aged, you can’t miss it – it’s everywhere.
Extra virgin olive oil. Umbrian extra virgin olive 0il (along with the oil from Tuscany and Liguria) is considered to be the best in Italy, if not the world. Moraiolo olives are harvested when they are barely ripe, and are therefore extremely high in Vitamin E and polyphenols (antioxidants).
Torta al Testo (known as Crescia in the North and Pizz’ sotto il Fuoco in the South). The Torta is a type of flat bread cooked on a stone or cast aluminum disc called a Testo. It is then filled with cured meats or braised greens and is perfect for a quick lunch or a picnic.
Rocciata. A typical dish from Foligno, it is a type of strudel that can either be savory or sweet. The savory version is usually with wild greens and sausage, while the sweet [variety], traditionally made in autumn, is filled with apples, pears, raisins, walnuts, pine nuts and cocoa powder.
For more information on Umbria visit Umbria Tourism
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