Halloween in Spookport......Southport prepares to be transformed for Halloween

Pleasureland staff have a smashing time with pumpkins in preparation for Happy Hallowe'en

The zombie run will take place in Kings Gardens on November 1

A youngster gets into the spirit of Hallowe'en

Southport businesses and residents are preparing to make the town spooktacular this Halloween as it transforms into Spookport, the UK’s biggest Halloween beast, from October 24 to November 2.

Plans for the week-long Halloween programme include a zombie run around Kings Gardens on November 1 from 4pm.

Business Improvement District manager, Andrew Sloman said the route of the run will be a couple of laps of the Kings Gardens area – with the team having already marked out suitable hiding places for the ghouls and zombies to “thrill and excite,” the runners.

Mr Sloman said: “We are planning a few additional surprises to give that extra spooky element as well.

“It probably isn’t aimed at the very young but it is for everyone. If parents feel their children will be ok with it all then great – Spookport is a family week of events.”

There will also be a Halloween parade on October 31, that will meander from Pleasureland, down the promenade, down Neville Street, onto Lord Street and back to where it started. Mr Sloman said there will be floats and vehicles involved and a few surprises that they are keeping under wraps.

He said: “We want to fill that parade with as many people as possible. It does mean that mums, dads, carers, aunties, uncles and grandparents that want to bring their kids down, if they want their kids to be part of it – they have to get into the spirit themselves.”

Organisers are also hoping to have a Halloween themed maze in Kings Gardens, as well as getting the hotels, restaurants, bars and shops involved in competitions for the best dressed windows and staff.

Mr Sloman said: “It is not just about getting people to put a few pumpkins in the window, it is about getting businesses to think about their product lines and what they can do with that. Visitors are going to be looking for that little bit of Spookport magic in our businesses.

“Our call to arms will be for people to spook up the town, spook up the shops, spook up your restaurants, spook up your hotels, spook up your staff – let’s get Southport looking spooktacular!

“The biggest incentive for people to get involved is just that hope of making Southport the Halloween capital of the country and putting our town on the map for Halloween events.”

On top of all of this, Pleasureland boss, Norman Wallis, has allowed the doors of Happy Halloween to creak open for a glimpse of what is in store for fun-seeking families at the entertainment complex during the week-long town-wide celebration.

There will be a number of live shows, ranging from the twitchy witch: live action theatre performance, the UV puppet haunted house – which involves lots of silly monsters and ghastly glowing characters and the magic mirrors magic show.

Alongside some spooky street theatre as you walk around the park, there will also be a trick or treat street with windy pathways and funny little doors that are full of family friendly surprises. Plus there will be more pumpkins in Pleasureland that you can poke a broomstick at.

BID chairman Enda Rylands said that Spookport is about positioning the town somewhere no one else is position at the moment.

He told the Visiter: “It would be great if we could get everyone involved to bring colour into the town. Because lets face it, it would otherwise just be another week in October.”

For tickets to Pleasureland’s Happy Halloween visit www.ticketquarter.co.uk.

To find out more about the Zombie Run, including how to take part, visitwww.visitsouthport.com.