Things to do: Halloween and Fireworks Night
The precursors to Christmas are upon us. First Halloween and then Guy Fawkes, or Fireworks Night, and then the countdown to the big day. Then of course, we’re into 2019! So, following on from my previous article, I thought it would be fitting and useful to have a look at where to celebrate Halloween and Fireworks Night (and maybe a little bit beyond!).
There’s so much fun to be had dressing up and going out with the kids on Halloween. But if going house to house trick or treating isn’t your thing, or your children are a bit older, the good news is there are plenty of organised events that appear to be great fun indeed!
Let’s take a look at some spooky Halloween hotspots before turning our attention to Fireworks Night.
My top picks for places to visit are:
Warner Bros. Studios, Watford: Harry Potter and the Making of the Dark Arts
A peek behind the curtain of the dark arts and activities include duelling with a Death Eater. Such fun! The Great Hall has had a Halloween makeover and there are floating pumpkins amongst many other special effects.
Sea Life London Aquarium: Halloween Ascarium
This is a lovely attraction to have on the doorstep and the Ascarium adds to the fun. It’s a new show, just for Halloween with a mesmerising live show with plenty of interactions.
The London Dungeon: Screamfest
This is one for the grown up, with plenty to make you afraid, very afraid! Book ahead as this will be a sell-out.
Hampton Court Palace: Ghost Tours
OK, not exactly on the door step and this is a sell-out every year. It’s well worth the trip for stories of ghosts and ghouls dating back to the Tudor period.
Moving on to Fireworks Night, there’s quite a lot to choose from, so it’s all down to personal preference.
Here are my top picks:
Alexander Palace Fireworks Festival
One of the biggest displays around, this is running on 2 consecutive nights and will be well worth the trip.
Wembley Park’s Light Up the Night
Last but by no means least this is a dual celebration of Guy Fawkes Night and Diwala featuring fireworks as well as a light show. There will also be several music acts including a Bollywood brass band. Sounds fun doesn’t it?! This one’s on a Sunday afternoon (the 4th) between 4 and 8pm and a lovely afternoon & evening out.
So, there you have it with a quick round up of the top picks for both Halloween and Fireworks Night. I’m sure there are a plethora of smaller shows to choose from, so it’s all about personal choice.
I wish you all a great deal of fun. Stay warm and stay safe!
