From the spooky to the spectacular, the city is heading into Autumn dancing and screaming.
The nights may be drawing in but there’s no sign of the city hunkering down. There are electro parties, cultural happenings, beer fests and plenty of spooky shenanigans, check this lot out, if you dare…
Spooky Welly Walk
Take an Autumn walk in one of our drop-dead beautiful parks, add some spooky goings on and a great cause and you get the brilliant Spooky Welly Walk. The two-mile totter around Sefton Park on 19th October is the perfect Halloween event for little monsters and there’s tricks and treats to keep them occupied along the route. Last year, 10,000 people donned their wellies and joined together in their best Halloween fancy dress to raise an incredible £58,000, so pull those wellies on and prepare for some fun. More details here.
Halloween floating cinema
Didn’t get a chance to catch the floating cinema over summer? Fear not, it’s back with some Spooktacular titles this month. For one week only you’ll be able to watch your Halloween favourites like never before. Bring the whole family to see Hocus Pocus, Casper or Beetlejuice, bring your fishnets for Rocky Horror, or bring a cushion to hide behind for Psycho and Scream. Grab them here.
See DJ Artwork at the Invisible Wind Factory
In various guises – including being part of electro trio Method Man – DJ Artwork has been the genius behind some massive chart-topping bangers… and he also produced Daniel Beddingfield’s ‘Gotta Get Thru This’. Now he’s bringing his Art House to Liverpool kick off the 4th season of ENRG at the Invisible Wind Factory. The party will definitely go off and if you’re lucky you might get some of Artwork’s customary show tat to take home as a souvenir. Grab tickets here.
LEAP Dance Festival
For more than 20 years Merseyside Dance Initiative have been throwing an annual celebration of dance and this year’s programme is an absolute cracker. A highlight will come from Motionhouse, one the world’s leading companies who took London 2012 Olympic ceremony by storm. WILD will be an epic and acrobatic performance staged on top of a forest of industrial scaffolding in the vast Hinterlands space. Performances across the ten days will draw on cabaret, music, comedy and traditional theatre. More info here.
Check out the new Chop Chop
The tiny size of Chop Chop was always in stark contrast to the massive flavours they produced, but now one of the city’s hidden gems has moved to a bigger place (on the same street) and we’ll be celebrating with a bucket-load of Mega Chicken. There’s even space for the lucky few to grab a chair and smugly enjoy their bibimbap while the waiting hoards salivate. And the hot news on the block is that you might be able to get your Mega hit at a Baltic market location very soon…
Go Pumpkin Picking
From bingeing on the sweets that didn’t quite make it to the trick or treaters, to the moment you turn the big light off and light the candle in the pumpkin to illuminate your masterpiece, gore blimey it’s a good time of year. As you get older, the magic of these times of the year may slightly fade but one thing that has got better over the years is pumpkin carving. And to do that, you need a pumpkin. Yes it’s easier to pick one up from the supermarket but there’s nothing better than going to a farm, picking one yourself and making a day of it. Here’s a round-up of some places to go pick it yourself: https://independent-liverpool.co.uk/blog/the-best-places-to-go-pumpkin-picking-in-merseyside/
Liverpool Irish Festival
It’s estimated three quarters of Liverpool’s population have some Irish roots and the annual Irish Festival is all about bringing the city and Ireland closer together through arts and culture. This year the programme promises a diverse mix of Irish music, comedy, exhibitions, talks, walks and loads more including the Celtic Animation Festival. All info can be found here.
Oktoberfest at Baltic Market
The steins and good times are guaranteed as Oktoberfest returns to take over the Baltic Market 3rd-6th October. Get your lederhosen on, grab your mates and prepare for a four-day fun-fest where the (massive) beers will be flowing, the sauerkraut will be plentiful and there will be more oompah than you can shake a massive hotdog at. With music from local bands, great German beer and wines to try and the food traders giving their wares a Bavarian twist, it’ll be Munich meets Merseyside under one raucous roof. More info about the event can be found here.
Liverpool Literary Festival
From violence and romance to myth and mystery, the Liverpool Literary Festival is offering up another captivating line-up. Head down for two days of talks, discussions and in conversation events in the stunning gothic surroundings of the gothic Victoria Gallery and Museum. More info here.
Farmageddon
Farmer Ted’s by day can be a pretty scary place, screaming toddlers, strung-out parents, over-excited chickens, but that all pales into insignificance when Farmaggedon comes to town. Zombies, ghouls and clown will take centre stage, there’s a Meat Locker, Contagion and The Beast of Terror to navigate, and there will be shocks and frights by the cauldron load. This is not one for the faint-hearted. Be afraid, be very afraid. Tickets here.
Halloween Disco Cruise
Forget Murder on the Orient Express, Monster Mash on the Mersey Ferry is where it’s at. If you want a Halloween night out that’s a real scream get the fake blood at the ready and set sail on this very creepy cruise. The beats will be blood curdling, passengers peculiar and the dance floor packed with some sinister Mersey monsters. More info and tickets here.
Taki Katei at World Museum
Sometimes the outside can be cold, the world can seem a bit chaotic and let’s not even mention politics… so if you’re in need of some tranquility, a touch of gentle beauty, then head to World Museum to see the stunning display of paintings from celebrated Japanese artist Taki Katei. His work was once displayed in the Japanese Imperial Court and has never been shown outside of Japan, so the exhibition is a real win for the city. All info can be found here.
Spanish food & wine evening at The Pig Shed
You might have tucked into the big slabs of pastry goodness that Porkie Pies dish out, but have you paid a visit to their neighbouring bistro the Pig Shed Canteen? If not, this could be your perfect excuse to get stuck in. For one night only on the 25th October the pig will be taking a walk on the Spanish side. They will be going the whole hog with chorizo, paella, Crema Catalana, and pairing it all with some quality vino. Be quick if you want to get your trotters on a ticket, you can get one here.
Scare projects at Camp and Furnace
Whether you’re looking for some spooky family adventure or a blood-curdling after-hours experience Scare Projects has some thrilling fun up its sleeve. Last year they were awarded Best New UK Scare Attraction and they are bringing their frighteningly good installations to Camp and Furnace for 11 days this month. Take your little monsters to the Candy Cavern for games, shows, slime making and spooky story telling or for a full on scream fest head to The Asylum, and enter if you dare… Tickets can be found here.
Baltic Vegan Market
It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned vegan or a curious carnivore, the Vegan Market on 20th October is a treat for the taste buds. Get your chops round vegan samosas, brownie peanut butter jars and falafel wraps plus there will be some of the region’s best vegan traders selling their incredible wares for you take home too. Free entry – more info here.
RAW: Halloween in The Palm House
Ah Sefton Park Palm House, tranquil, gentle and relaxing… until RAW takes it over for a Halloween special like no other! The Victorian structure will be bouncing with techno and house classics as guest DJs get the Halloween party started deep in the forest of Sefton Park. Dress to ghoulishly impress. Tickets here.
ParentFolk ‘Weekend-AGHHH’ Halloween Family Social
The Halloween ‘Weekend-AGHHH’ is an afternoon family social session taking place under the beautiful canvas of the Big Teepee’s in the Claremont Farm cafe garden. Dress in your Halloween finery and join for frivolity at the farm. Kids tickets include: Spooky / Sparkly face art, Halloween art workshops by Square Pegs, slime workshops, Monsterball Halloween Family Rave. It’s on Sat 26th October 12-3 and Sun 27th October 12-3/Tickets are £10 per child (adults and under 3’s go FREE). Grab ’em here.
Halloween At Baltic Market
Nightmare on Stanhope Street – Liverpool’s scarily good street food market Baltic Market based in Cains Brewery will be converted into a warehouse full of spooktacular tricks and treats October 31st-3rd November. Expect themed cocktails, Grim Reaper on the decks, a special kids day and terrifying themed food from our street food traders. This will include pumpkin pizza, halloween halloumi fries and more! More details here.
