Family Activities for your Halloween Midterm
Discover//Events//Family//What's On

Family Activities for your Halloween Midterm

It’s time to get out the scary costumes once again as the spooky season descends on Galway. We’ve put together a list of fun activities to enjoy with the whole family for the October Halloween Midterm. Dust off those monster masks and get ready to have some spectacular fun this October 30th to November 3rd...

Attend the Macnas Parade

Macnas are returning to the streets of Galway this Halloween with their bone-chilling parade on Sunday the 29th of October from 5.30pm. The parade is returning for the first time in four years with an unearthly narrative of the legend of La Loba, a wild Wolf-Woman who collects and preserves the bones of animals, humans and gods that are in danger of being lost to the world and sings them back to life by moonlight. Bring the whole family to watch as the streets come alive with creatures and puppets as darkness falls over the city. Check out our interview with this year's Macnas parade director, James Riordan here.


above: photo by Ciarán MacChoncarraige, from Macnas 2018

Pick your own Pumpkin to Carve

Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without a good old pumpkin carving. Make a whole day of the affair with a trip to one of the many pumpkin patches that pop up in autumn in preparation for the holiday. You can choose your very own pumpkin straight from the source to carve and turn into a spooky creation. Ardrahan’s Galway Pumpkin Patch will have enough selection to ensure the perfect pumpkin is picked.

Brave a Nighttime Wood Walk

Have you ever thought about what sort of creatures roam our woodlands after the sky darkens? Test out your bravery with a nighttime woodland walk in a forest with a trail to follow such as Barna, Kilcornan or Renville. Wrap up warm, bring a friend, wear your hi-vis, and bring your flashlights as you follow the trails of Galway’s eerie wood trails. Hear the trees creak and the owls hoot as you explore the other world that comes alive as the day turns to night.

Attend Howling Halloween at Brigit's Garden

Dig out your costumes and join Brigit’s Garden for their Howling Halloween event on October 29th or 30th. There’s a Ghastly Ghouls’ Treasure Hunt, Spooky Storytelling and Notion & Potions with the Wacky Witch! The Gardens will be transformed to a Halloween wonderland with ghosts, mummies, witches and magic. Perfect for any family who thinks they are brave enough to enter the haunted grounds.

Watch a Scary Movie at the Cinema

PÁLÁS Cinema are dusting off the cobwebs on their collection of 1970s horror movies. ‘Waking Nightmares’ is inspired by the revolution the 1970s took to modernise horror. ‘The Exorcist’, ‘Blacula’, ‘Suspiria’, ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’, ‘The Omen’, ‘House’, ‘The Crazies’ and, ‘Halloween’ are the nightmarish movies that the PÁLÁS Cinema are showing this Halloween.

Have a Haunted Halloween at Wildlands

Wildlands Adventure Centre will host spooky Halloween orientation sessions through their wild woodlands and magical fairy trail. Keep your eyes peeled for the trolls under the bridges and fairies who might be outside their houses. The Moycullen Mummy and the Wicked Witch of the Wildlands will be on site to scare you and your family silly, but make sure you scare them back with a frightening face painting. This year they have a new murder mystery activity that will be sure to get your detective wheels turning so, join them from October 27th to the 5th to enjoy the thrilling adventure.


above: photo courtesy of Wildlands

Make your own Frightening Costume

Gather your supplies and let your imagination run wild as you personally piece together your own costume that is sure to scare all the neighbours. A witch, a clown or a mummy, the possibilities are endless once you let loose your creativity and rummage around your home for the design elements needed to create the perfect trick or treat costume.

Party All Hallows Night Long

St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church is hosting an All Hallows Children's Party on October 31st in the church. Celebrate with them for Halloween with their pumpkins, pumpkin trail, Horrible Histories tour, and many more spooky surprises. Make sure you have your scariest costume on as there will be a prize for the best dressed! The event is from 5pm to 6pm and is €5 per child.

Go to Halloween Treat at Turoe Pet Farm

Dress up in fancy costumes and head out to Turoe Pet Farm for their treat filled Halloween event. The 29th, 30th, and 31st of October there will be all kinds of activities to please the whole family. Face painting, balloon modelling, kids discos, the Inflatable City, the Jungle Town, feeding or cuddling the animals and three hours of entertainment awaits you and your family at the farm. Make sure you don’t miss out on the Halloween fun!

See a Musical About an Ogre

Gort Starz are putting on their Halloween musical ‘Shrek the Musical JR’ on in Gort Community Centre October 28th and 29th. Take your family and join the cast as they embark on their journey with Shrek, Donkey and friends. Fancy dress is encouraged for the family-friendly musical comedy that will be sure to be a highlight of the Halloween Midterm break.

Let the Children Get Crafty

Little Creators are running a Halloween Art & Craft Camp in Gort and Clarinbridge. Haunted house paintings and monstrous creations will all be made by the children. An art exhibition will be held to showcase the spooky work that was crafted at the end of the camp where family members are allowed to walk around and see what their children have made.


above: photo courtesy of The Connacht Hotel

Attempt an Escape Room

What could be scarier than being locked in a room with only clues to help you escape? Great Escape Rooms and Open the Door Escape Rooms have challenges for any team of 2-7 people. A fun, but tricky, task for anyone who enters the rooms and only teamwork will be able to help you escape. Work together to ensure your escape before the time runs out.

Go to the Howl-O-Ween Festival at the Slieve Aughty Centre

It will be a spook-tacular time at Slieve Aughty during their annual Halloween Festival. The family-friendly event has activities at the ready for children of all ages. Ghosts, goblins, haunted houses, Halloween tricks and treats, scary stories, horses and ponies to pet, arts & crafts and pumpkin carving are all on offer this Halloween break.

Stay in Galway for the Holiday

Galway will truly come alive with all of the Halloween activities happening in the city and county, make sure you don’t miss a thing by booking a stay with the great hotels who have Midterm offers.

Lough Rea Hotel & Spa

Bring your little monsters to Galway and enjoy the Halloween Break offers with Lough Rea Hotel & Spa. Included in the offer will be a full Irish breakfast, a movie evening and 48 hour cancellation to create the perfect break away to Galway. The Halloween activities happening will only be a short journey from the hotel, making this the perfect stress free Halloween location.

The Connacht Hotel

Just a 12 minute bus journey from the city centre, The Connacht Hotel has created a Halloween Family Celebration for families of all sizes. Family dining, live music every evening, a swimming pool & kids pool, the complimentary kids club, and a family Halloween themed afternoon tea are all on offer for the midterm break if you were to stay at The Connacht Hotel.

Clayton Hotel Galway

Enjoy a relaxing family break this Halloween at the Clayton Hotel Galway. A local bus will run every 30 minutes from outside the hotel to the City Centre. The rate includes breakfast, access to the swimming pool, and the option to pay upon arrival at the hotel. Let the Clayton Hotel Galway host your family this Halloween Midterm.

Flannery's Hotel Galway

Flannery’s Hotel is the perfect location from which to take part in Galway’s Halloween celebrations. There will be spooky entertainment, rest and delicious food for the whole family. A free Halloween kid’s party will be on October 31st at the hotel, which includes face painting, music, games, surprises and tricks & treats to round out your Midterm break.

From all of us at This is Galway we wish you all a Happy Halloween and hope you have a wonderfully scary time in Galway this October.

Feature photo from Unsplash 

Published on Updated on